Practice Makes Perfect
by nissanity
Summary: Nanoha forms a new club at school to study romance and practice aspects of dating with her fellow club members - - but what happens when the line between make-believe and reality blurs with Fate in the picture? AU, NanoFate
1. Chapter 1 - Finding Your Feet

**A/N: **Hey everyone! The concept for this story came to me from the anime _Love Lab!_ I have only seen a few episodes, but I think it could be a lot of fun to apply the idea of our favorite girls forming a club to 'practice' dating and being in love with each other, and all the potential awkwardness around it. So much NanoFate fluff potential, right? Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 1 – ****__****Finding Your Feet**

* * *

******NANOHA POV**

"_You who suffer because you love, love still more. To die of love, is to live by it,_" I murmured.

I was running the quote over and over in my mind as I sat with my best friend, Hayate, in the cafeteria at school. She was engrossed in a magazine, and I was engrossed in my own thoughts.

"Have you ever been in love, Hayate?" I blurted out.

"I love you," she deadpanned, not looking up from her magazine.

"Could you love someone so much you would die?" I continued.

"That's a bit dark for you, Nanoha."

"I wonder what it's like to kiss someone?" I asked, chewing on my straw absently.

Hayate finally glanced up at me. "It's wonderful."

"Really?!" My eyes shot open in surprise at my best friend sitting across from me.

"Well, I assume so," she replied, shrugging. "Everyone else besides us is doing it, so imagine there must be something to it."

I pouted slightly. "Don't tease me like that, Hayate. I was hoping that you would tell me it was like fireworks and rainbows, and maybe puppies dancing on clouds."

"What? That's ridiculous," Hayate scoffed. "Kittens, maybe? But puppies..."

Before I could defend a pro-puppy stance, the school bell rang above us, signaling the end of our lunch period together. Hayate and I began our trek back to the classroom after depositing our trash in the receptacle.

"Hey Nanoha, where did that question come from by the way? You've never really shown interest in that sort of thing before?" Hayate asked as we walked down the hallway past the junior classrooms, about to approach our class at the end.

"Well..." I started slowly, and then trailed off as I could feel a blush come to my cheeks.

"Let me guess, someone has peaked your interest," Hayate ventured. "Did Yuuno finally make his way into your heart?"

"What? No. NO! Damnit, why does everyone keep trying to get me together with him?" I stomped my foot in frustration. "The only thing anyone can say is that we are childhood friends. That's not even a good reason!"

Hayate put her hands up to me defensively. "Whoa, okay, I got it. So tell me, why now?"

I smiled to myself as I blushed again. "The other night, I saw this French movie. It was so beautiful, and the two characters... they were chasing each other around, taking pictures of each other secretly. It was so romantic. And then...t-they kissed at the end and I thought that it might be nice."

"So you could picture being that girl getting kissed in the movie then?" Hayate interpreted, trying to finish her soda quickly as we came closer to our classroom door.

"Kinda. But more like I wanted to be him, not her," I concluded.

I turned my head to the sound of Hayate choking on her drink. "What did you just say?" she managed to get out, wiping her mouth.

"What?" I said, turning my head to the side.

Hayate stopped. "Are you... are you saying you wanted to kiss _her_?"

"She was really pretty!" I replied quickly. "You don't understand."

"Well, I think I do now! Although I admit I didn't see it coming from you," she mused. "Well, wait, now this is all starting to make sense..."

I waved her off. "I have no idea what you're talking about. And I probably don't want to. It's just, he was such a gentleman and so mysterious. I thought it would be fun to sweep someone off their feet like that."

Hayate grabbed me by the hand and started pulling me into the classroom. "Well come on then, Prince Charming. We will talk more about this after class. I think you just gave me an idea."

I sat down at my desk, pulling out my books and other materials for the class that was starting. It was the beginning of our Literature class, and I was excited for the discussion portion dedicated to our currently assigned book, Les Miserables. We had just reached the portion in the book where two of the main characters, Cosette and Marius, were falling in love with each other from a distance and I was entranced.

"Alright class," my teacher began, "does someone want to discuss this passage? - -

"_Marius and Cosette were in the dark in regard to each other. They did not speak, they did not bow, they were not acquainted; they saw each other; and, like the stars in the sky separated by millions of leagues, they lived by gazing upon each other."_

I raised my hand. "It's like love at first sight, but stronger. They were connected together by more than just average words or actions. Their love for each other was eternal and unbreakable, even if it was from a distance."

"Like the red string of fate," I heard a voice from behind me. I turned in my seat slightly and saw that it was Ginga Nakajima, the blue-haired girl that I have known since childhood, who had responded. I smiled at her, glad that she was also able to relate to the passage. She smiled in returned genuinely, and I was even further elated.

We continued to discuss different quotes and passages from the book before we moved on to the calculus portion of class. My attention drifted, my mind still replaying the movie from the night before and our discussion in class. Both the movie and the book discussed love from a distance, and the concept seemed to trigger all my romantic inclinations.

Hayate met me at my desk as the final school bell rang. "So, got any plans after school?" she asked me, kneeling by my desk.

"Nope! My parents don't need me at the cafe today. What about you?" I began standing up and putting my bag over my shoulder.

Hayate stood up as well. "Nothing at all. So, remember when I said I had an idea? Let's head back to your place, and I'll show you what I was thinking."

* * *

"So, what are we doing then?" I asked as Hayate started loading the French movie I had been talking about most of the day into my DVD player. She had previously placed a pad of paper and pen in my lap when I sat down on the edge of my bed.

"Oh, a gnome! That's different. I like gnomes..." she said, looking at the back of the DVD cover. She then turned her attention to me. "Okay, here's what I'm thinking. What if we study movies and books for ideas on what love is like? When you were talking at lunch today, I realized it's kind of pathetic that we don't know anything about dating."

"Pathetic? I don't know if I would use that - "

"It is," Hayate stated firmly. She then leaned over and pointed at my face. "But that's okay, we are going to 'un-pathetic' ourselves."

I cringed, but decided to let that grammatical inaccuracy pass by. I looked down at the notepad. "So, I should take notes?" I guessed.

"Yep!" Hayate sat down next to me on the bed. "Write down all the things you find romantic, so that you will always have a reference. I'll write down everything I find romantic too, and that way I can get a good idea of the type of person I might find interesting too."

Grabbing the remote in her hand, Hayate pushed the power button to the DVD player, and then the play button. After going through the initial menus, the initial French music to the movie began and a warm sensation took over me. It almost felt like my brain was melting.

"Hey!" Hayate yelled, watching my face. "Don't lose focus here. We have a mission."

Throughout the movie, I furiously wrote down all the moments I had found romantic and touching. I didn't glance away once from the paper and movie, and by the end I had filled up four pages. When the credits came on scene, I finally put my pen down, and I pulled the notepad in front of me and faced it toward Hayate next to me.

"Okay, here is what I - " I began, but stopped immediately when I saw Hayate's crumpled face.

"Nanoha..." she said, rubbing her tear-streaked cheeks with the back of her sleeve while still sobbing. "That was beautiful! Why didn't you tell me?!"

I paused to stare at my best friend, before I eventually felt my face crumple too. "I know, I know, right!" I cried as I crashed into her with a hug. "I did tell you, you idiot."

After we had calmed down from our emotional outburst, I looked down at my notes. "That was fun! Let's keep doing this, Hayate."

Hayate nodded. "Yeah, for sure. I'll bring some movies over too, and we can put references from books down as well. I know how much you were into Les Miserables today. Your whole face lit up in class."

I smiled and nodded while I thought about the book that had quickly become a favorite of mine. Under the list of things I found romantic from the movie, I added my most precious line from the book as well - -

"_I have been loving you a little more every minute since this morning."_

* * *

Over the next week, Hayate and I watched movies and listened to music after school that we considered 'romantic material'. We kept extensive notes on most of it, from what we found beautiful and poetic, to what we found cheesy and cliché.

I was discovering that I enjoyed a level of mystery and intrigue behind two characters being attracted to each other, and that I was also fond of the concept of one person saving another. Hayate enjoyed when the characters lived in their own silly little world, and it seemed like they had a connection where they understood each other completely even without speaking.

We were having so much fun with our new form of studying, I decided to bring my portable DVD player to school so that we could watch a movie during lunch. Since they weren't allowed at school, Hayate and I snuck away to one of the corner gardens that wasn't visited by students or teachers often.

She and I were rewatching one of our favorite scenes from a movie we had seen right at the beginning of our 'studies'. We had watched it often enough that we could recite the lines of the characters verbatim.

"_Why didn't you write me?_" Hayate started first. "_Why? It wasn't over for me! I waited for you for seven years! And now it's too late._"

"_I wrote you 365 letters,_" I continued the scene in a serious tone. "_I wrote you every day for a year._"

Hayate pretended to start breathing heavier. "_You...wrote me?_"

"_Yes!_" I started the next line. "_It - _" I began, before I was cutoff mid-sentence.

"_It wasn't over - - It still isn't over,_" came a voice suddenly from behind us.

Hayate dropped her notepad on the floor in shock, as I struggled to keep my the player from crashing to the ground. We both stood up and turned around, hoping it wasn't a teacher that had just caught us.

"Ginga!" I cried, happy and relieved.

She looked past me to the DVD player that I had set on the ground. "I love that movie, and that's one of my favorite scenes," she said. "I hope I didn't interrupt. I wasn't sure if you two were going to act out the next part of the scene or not."

I paused for a second, then felt my face blush furiously when I realized she was asking if Hayate and I were going to mimic the kiss that occurred right after the line Ginga recited.

"With her?" I heard Hayate ask incredulously next to me. I turned my head and saw Hayate pointing at me while looking at Ginga in disbelief.

I hit her hard on the arm. "Oh, thanks for the _compliment_, Hayate."

"So what were you guys doing? I had been standing behind you for a few minutes," she paused to scratch her cheek. "I thought I saw you talking notes or something?"

I turned my head to the sky, and buried my hands in my hands now that we had been caught in our strange activity. I heard Hayate's voice crack next to me. "W-we wouldn't do something like that. I mean, why would we?"

Ginga looked a little disappointed. "Oh. That's too bad, I thought it looked pretty interesting, definitely different. Like, a lot of fun. Well, nevermind, see ya later."

"Wait!" Hayate and I both said as Ginga turned to walk away. I had removed my hands from my face, and Hayate and I were now having a silent conversation about whether we should disclose our secret hobby.

"Are you serious?" Hayate asked, skepticism in her voice.

Ginga laughed. "Why wouldn't I be? I love romantic movies. I could see why you guys would want to do, well, whatever it is your doing."

I gathered up my courage. "We watch movies, and listen to music, and take notes about what we think is romantic about them, so that we can figure out what we find romantic about others," I told her quickly, hoping she wouldn't laugh.

Ginga's eyes lit up. "That's so cool! Can I - ? I mean, do you think I could join you sometime? If it's your own thing I understand, but..."

"No! I mean, yes! Yes, you can join us!" Hayate beamed. "We usually go over to Nanoha's after school to watch movies and take notes. You can even bring your own movies and stuff too, or we can rent something that you heard might be good."

Ginga bounced up and down a little bit, not able to contain her excitement. "I'll make a list of my favorite movies in class, and we can see if you have watched them yet or not! I know a lot of titles, and I own a lot of movies."

"Yeah, that will work!" I picked my notebook off the ground and showed it to her. "Hayate and I have seen these movies," I pointed to the left column, "and these are the ones we want to see." I then pointed to the column on the right, which was much longer than the left one.

Ginga took the notebook from my hand. "Yep, I have a bunch of these," she indicated to the right column. "Oh, I should ask, are you interested in older movies? I have a collection of black and white ones, and they have lots of romance in them."

I nodded. I have never seen any before but I was very intrigued by the thought of watching classic movies.

Hayate put her arm around Ginga's shoulder. "_Ginga, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,_" she tried to quote in her best old-timey voice.

"Pffftt! Haa!" Ginga laughed hard. "Whew, okay...I'll make sure to put that movie first on the list, Hayate."

* * *

True to her word, Ginga joined us in our 'romantic studies' every day, coming over to my house with various movies and some of her favorite soundtracks. After a month of her joining our group, we had seen over 50 movies together, spending our weekends marathoning some of the classics.

The three of us fell into certain roles in the group. Ginga was considered our resource expert, always having something new Hayate and I had never seen or heard of before, or discovering something new herself that she wanted to share with us.

I became the data manager, responsible for note taking and inventory of the movies we had seen. I had devised a schedule so that we could watch movies more efficiently, and organized the notes so that we had a database of ideas for all types of situations.

Hayate became the voice of wisdom and insight when interpreting what we were watching. There were many times she would hit the pause button, run to the television, and point out little touches of the hands or other nuances that I probably would have missed if it weren't for her watchful eye. She provided valuable information for the database, as well as gave Ginga clues on what type of material we should look at for the upcoming week.

One day, Ginga and I were having a discussion after class about a movie we had just seen when Hayate came bursting into the classroom, excitedly waving a piece of paper in her hand. She slammed it down on Ginga's desk.

"Hey guys, I have good news!" she exclaimed. She paused for a minute as we looked at her expectantly. The pause continued. "Well, aren't you going to ask me what the good news is?" she finally asked.

"Wait, what? Why didn't you just tell us?" Ginga asked, perplexed.

"Well, because you didn't ask?" she responded, equally confused.

"But it was your news! Why would I - "

"What's the good news, Hayate?" I blurted out, trying to appease the situation.

She beamed. "I found out that we can get credit for the movie stuff we have been doing. We just have to form an official club," she indicated by pointing down at the sheet. "We can even have a club room here at school to do it in!"

Ginga and I gasped and looked down at the paper. "Is three club members enough?" I asked.

"Yep! As long as we have official roles and we can show that our group actually works on things, it's fine."

I suddenly bit my lip in thought. "So, do we have to show someone our material? That would be a bit awkward, them seeing data on what we find romantic."

Hayate shook her head. "No, we don't have to be specific, I already checked. If any of the student council asks us for our materials we have to provide it, but they say that doesn't happen usually. Not unless the club has been alleged of wrongdoing or something."

Ginga grabbed Hayate's hand in hers. "That's great, Hayate! I'm so excited!" she said up to her, grinning.

I watched as Hayate blushed a little unexpectedly. "Y-yeah," she stammered, "it's no problem!"

"Nyahaha, you really are the best, Hayate!" I said as well, making her blush even more with our compliments.

I picked up the sheet of paper from the desk and studied it carefully. "Is it okay if I fill this out? Some of these questions ask for information that I think only I know." I pointed to portions about treasury and how the club would record meeting minutes and such.

"Of course," Hayate replied. "I was going to ask you to anyway. I was hoping we could turn it in today though, since it might take a while to get approved."

"No problem," I assured her. "You two can go on home without me. I'll miss watching a movie with you today, but this is more important."

"Yeah, I actually have to go pick up my sister and her friend today," Ginga replied. "It's unusual for me to have to, but my dad is tied up at work today. See you later, Nanoha!"

"Bye, Nanoha!" Hayate said over her shoulder to me. "So you have a sister? I didn't know that..." I heard Hayate ask as she and Ginga left the classroom.

I headed to the window of the classroom to look outside and watch my friends walk away. After a few minutes, I saw them exit the front of the school building and begin walking towards the courtyard. I reached up and opened the window in front of me.

"You'd better miss me!" I yelled at them from above.

Hayate and Ginga looked up as they were walking by. "Get to work, Nanoha!" Hayate yelled back playfully.

I picked up the paper next to me and showed it to them. "I've got this, no worries." I said. Hayate and Ginga waved goodbye to me and continued down the walkway and out the front entrance to the gate. I stood for a few moments leaning out the window, enjoying the cool breeze against my face. It was spring, and the smell of blooming flowers and cut grass danced across my senses.

I heard the classroom door slide behind me and, with the window still ajar, the opening door caused a suction that forced many of the papers off of the desks and tables to fly towards it. The club paper also left my hand, but I made no attempt to grab it, as I was suddenly captivated and immobilized by the person who had just walked into the classroom behind me.

As the papers began to drop all around the room, I had a clear vision of long golden hair now present in the doorway. I saw a flash of red, soon realizing the the girl in front of me had deep, burgundy eyes that seemed to pierce right through me. She was not dressed in a school uniform, her black sweater in perfect contrast with her hair, eyes, and skin.

The paper in my hand had flown to her feet, it's corner stopping underneath the toe of her shoe. She reached down carefully to pick it up, returning her eyes to me once she was standing upright again. I wanted to speak to her to thank her but my throat had constricted, and I wasn't sure if I had any words that would be fitting for the beautiful girl in front of me anyway.

I watched as an older women with teal-hair walked up being the girl and whispered something in her ear, not noticing my presence across the room. I saw the blond nod slightly in response, and then she turned and placed the paper in her hand on top of the desk next to her. She began to walk away, but not before glancing one last time over her shoulder at me before she exited the room completely.

Once she had left, I allowed my breath that I was holding to release. I looked to my left absently as I tried to ensure that I hadn't just imagined the girl standing there so briefly before me in my life. I then began to feel a small smile enter my lips, as a thought had suddenly entered my mind of the mysterious blond with burgundy eyes that had captivated my being entirely - -

"_I have found my Cosette..._" I whispered to myself.

* * *

"_What happened between those two beings? Nothing. They were adoring one another." Les Miserables _– Victor Hugo

* * *

**A/N:** I really love writing about Nanoha being smitten with Fate. This is a quick chapter just to establish the story, I'm sure then next ones will be much longer as I go, as the girls start acting out scenes from their favorite movies together and 'practice' dating each other. If there are any movies or quotes from books you would like me to reference, feel free to send me a PM or leave it in a review.

And no worries, I'll be updating Idol Project before too long. Until then! =*..^= ~Nissanity~


	2. Chapter 2 - It Takes Two

**A/N: **The first half of this chapter is me having some fun with the new character introductions, and then the second half is nothing but pure NanoFate goodness. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 2 – ****__****It Takes Two**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

"So...are you guys ready?" Hayate asked playfully over her shoulder, one eyebrow raised.

Ginga and I were standing behind Hayate in front of our new clubroom as she was poised with the key to the door's lock in her hand. We paused for a moment, waiting for her to do something else.

"Well?" Hayate asked impatiently.

"Well, what?" Ginga asked, confused.

Hayate frowned. "Well, are you ready or not?"

Ginga frowned in return. "Why wouldn't we - "

"We're ready, Hayate!" I interrupted with a smile, reminding myself of the need to discuss my best friend's misuse of rhetorical questions at another time.

Hayate unlocked the door, and in one grand gesture opened the front door to our new clubroom.

"Oh..." I could only say, stepping inside.

Ginga whistled as she walked through the middle of the room. Our new clubroom was the now-abandoned teacher's lounge, which seemed to have accumulated many years of random storage and dust since the new teacher's lounge had been built two years prior.

"I think this was the only vacant room the school had, since our club is starting so late in the year," Hayate pointed out.

I started lifting up sheets here and there, letting out a sneeze as a cloud of dust hit me in the face at one point. "This is going to take a lot of work," I muttered.

Hayate placed one hand on her hip and cradled her chin with her thumb and index finger, eyes closed in deep concentration. "Yes, yes. We are going to need a montage to tackle this one for sure."

"A montage, really?" Ginga scoffed, smiling at the brunette.

I picked up another sheet. "What is all this? It looks like a lot of gym equipment," I said, picking up a soccer ball.

Hayate noticed a couch on her left. "It looks like a lot of the old furniture it still in here, though. So at least we won't have to worry about that."

"I guess we will need to get together with the gym coach about the equipment in here, see if we can find a new place to store all of it," Ginga ventured.

"Oh, hey!" I exclaimed suddenly. "I totally forgot to tell you, the student council said we had to get a teacher adviser for the group soon. Before we can have final approval. "

It had been one week since I had submitted our form requesting the formation of our club, and they granted a tentative approval for use of our new clubroom. As soon as we had a teacher adviser, they would finalize the paperwork.

"Boooo, why do we need one of those?" Hayate said, lips forming a pout.

The three of us became lost in thought for a moment, looking around the room at all the equipment and trying to think of any teacher willing to be an adviser to our group. Simultaneously, our three heads shot up to look at each other in realization, and we were out the front door and running down the hall within seconds.

"_Signummmm_!" we screamed as we ran together, finally seeing the retreating pink-haired figure down the hall from us after a few minutes. "Signum, wait!"

Signum turned to see the three of us approaching her wildly, a mixture of confusion and horror on her face. Hayate began to stumble as we approached her, and Signum quickly moved out the way as Hayate fell on her hands and knees ungracefully in the hall just past her.

Ginga was by her side immediately to help her up. "Well, that was interesting to watch," she said, although her face showed a lot of concern for her clumsy friend.

"Signum, we need your help with something," I started as the two rose up behind me. "Well, with two things actually."

"You need to get your _crap_ out of our clubroom," Hayate seethed, angry about her aunt's lack of compassion for her niece.

"What are you talking about?" she replied, scowling and folding her arms across her chest.

"We started a new club, and they are letting us use the old teachers' lounge. It has a lot of gym equipment stored there though, and we aren't sure what to do with it?" I tried, hoping she could at least help us find a new place to put the items.

Signum grunted. "That's fine, I'll clear out some space in the upper deck storage room of the gym. We got rid of some things a while ago."

Feeling that burden lift off our shoulders, I began my second approach delicately. "Thanks! See, we formed this movie club here at school, and we already have the clubroom picked out. All that's left to do is find a teacher adviser..."

"Yep," Ginga added, "an instructor who would be willing to oversee the club activities. No big deal or anything."

Signum held up a hand to us. "I'm sorry girls, but I don't have - "

"If you don't do it, I'll tell Shamal what you did to me!" Hayate yelled suddenly. She lifted up a skinned knee and pointed at it, crocodile tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Signum's poker face broke and she let a look of shock enter her features. "That's blackmail, Hayate!"

Hayate silently turned to nurse an elbow that looked slightly red as well, glancing back and forth from it and Signum a few times.

"Fine!" she conceded. I produced the consent form I had folded up in my uniform pocket, along with a pen. Signum quickly scribbled her name and returned it to me. "So what do I need to do?" she asked

"Oh nothing we are good we can handle everything don't worry about it at all Signum we have it covered good great okay thanks bye," we all blurted out together as we started trying to escape back down the hall.

I felt a hand grasp my shoulder tightly from behind, preventing my escape. Hayate and Ginga could only watch on in silent terror at my capture. "Takamachi?" I heard Signum begin from behind me.

"Y-Yes?" I said, my head shaking as I turned to face her.

"I expect a summary of the club activities every day. Something that states what you learned in your meeting. Understood?" our new adviser instructed.

I nodded my head in agreement, and I was released to rejoin my friends. Hayate and Ginga hugged me and tended to my wounds as we walked back down the hall to our clubroom.

* * *

Signum enlisted the help of her morning gym class to move the equipment out of the clubroom the following day, so we were able to make quick work that afternoon of cleaning and organizing the furniture. We created a comfortable seating area for watching movies, as well as set up a small conference table in the corner where we could discuss our findings and hold club meetings as necessary. There was a white board hanging on the wall near the table, and I already had mapped out the best way to use it for data collection and communications.

The student council had been gracious enough to provide funds to purchase equipment for our club, stating that every new club was allotted four hundred dollars for start up costs. The three of us shopped around and found a flat-screen television and DVD player within our price range, and it was delivered to us that evening as we were finishing up.

"It still looks a little bare, but we can bring some decorations from home as we go," Hayate stated while looking around at our finished product. I knew she was happy with the result, as were Ginga and I with our new haven in the middle of our school.

The next day, Ginga decided on a light and fun animated movie as official kickoff to the club's new activities. Before she could start the movie though, she received an unexpected text message.

"Hey guys, I just found out that my dad can't pick up my sister or her friend today. Is it okay if they come here instead and watch the movie with us?" she asked.

"Of course!" I replied. "We would love to meet them."

"Thanks! They are both really sweet. I think you'll like them," Ginga gratefully replied.

We waited to start the movie until the girls got there, which gave me the opportunity to set up the whiteboard so that I could transfers notes onto it after the meeting. I sectioned off a portion of it, and dedicated it to my daily summary for Signum. I titled it "What We Learned Today," although I wasn't quite sure yet what I could put in the box without giving away too much about our club's real motivations.

A knock on the door came and Ginga was quick to answer it. She led a shorter-haired, younger version of herself into the room, as well her red-headed friend behind her. We were introduced to Subaru and Teana, and Hayate and I welcomed them into the room warmly.

"Okay, let's start the movie!" Ginga announced excitedly after we had all taken our places on the couches and chairs.

"I haven't seen this in so long, since I was a kid I think," I stated, my eyes watching the cartoons on the screen in delight.

"What's this about? I've never seen it," Teana asked.

"Dogs in love!" Hayate simply replied, her eyes transfixed on the screen as well.

"Oh, I see," she stated, looking back at the screen cautiously. It wasn't long before she and Subaru were watching the movie in wonderment and awe as well though, and I had to smile to myself a little that our club was able to give that sense of joy to the two younger girls somehow.

"Yay, the best part is coming up!" Ginga was giddy at the upcoming scene, one that I was all too familiar with from my childhood as well. We all let out a collective "ahhhh" at the end when the two dogs kissed as they were eating spaghetti together.

Hayate suddenly paused the DVD player. "Do you think that would actually work?" she asked the group.

Ginga and I looked at each other quickly, wondering if it would be okay to have a club-type discussion with our two non-club companions present.

"Like, if _people_ tried it, I mean," Hayate continued. Ginga and I continued to pause, still not sure about answering.

"I suppose it would depend on the texture and consistency of the noodle itself, honestly," Teana replied before we could, her face lost in thought while still looking at the screen.

"I'm not so sure actually, I think it would be impossible to eat spaghetti while looking away, like they were in that scene," Subaru added. "Seems like your mouth would have to be at an odd, unnatural angle."

"Yeah, not romantic at all for people, if you really think about it," Teana concluded.

Ginga, Hayate, and I stared at the two girls in stunned silence. "Ginga, Nanoha, can I see you over by the conference table?" Hayate finally spoke up.

Huddled together in the corner whispering, one of us would occasionally glance over at Teana and Subaru still seated on the couches, making sure they weren't hearing our conversation. They were looking in our direction with bewildered faces, but said nothing.

"That was brilliant commentary!" Hayate whispered at our close faces.

"I know, but could it have been a fluke?" I countered in my hushed voice.

"I don't know, my sister has always watched movies with me," Ginga added quietly.

"I never would have questioned noodle firmness in that situation," Hayate mused, seemingly impressed with Teana's thought process.

I paused for a moment. "Maybe we can test them somehow?"

Hayate instantly shot up from the huddle. "I got it!" she said, snapping her fingers. She grabbed her purse from the counter and headed for the front door of the clubroom. "I'll be back in thirty minutes, keep watching the movie without me!" she said over her shoulder. I saw her put her cell phone to her ear as she closed the door behind her.

"She had an errand to run really quick," was all I said to the girls, possibly telling the truth.

Ginga hit the play button on the remote again, and the four of us continued to watch the movie, occasionally laughing and cooing at the scenes before us. About half an hour after Hayate's departure, I heard the sound of someone approaching the clubroom door quickly. Hayate burst in seconds later, two plastic bags in her hands.

After setting the bags on one of the conference chairs, she started pulling the table towards the center of the room, then moved two of the chairs to either side of it. As she had been performing that task, my curiosity got the best of me and I walked over to the bags she had previously placed on the chair.

Opening the first one, I almost immediately closed it again after seeing the contents. "You're kidding me, right?" was all I could say.

Hayate smiled. "Nope! You can help me set this up, if you would."

By this time, Ginga had also made her way to stand next to me. I opened the bag so that she could look in also, and her eyes immediately grew wide. She then let out a laugh, and I couldn't help but join her.

I removed the red and white checked tablecloth from the plastic bag and as I did, two cheap candlesticks with candles fell out onto the chair next to it. "Hayate, where did you get these?" I said, holding everything up in the air.

Hayate took them from my hands. "The Italian restaurant down the street," she simply replied. I looked toward the other bag, and was simultaneously met with the smell of food emitting from it. I didn't have to look inside to guess the contents.

In less than a minute, Hayate had the table set and was lighting the candles. "Ginga, could you rewind to that one scene, please?" Ginga complied, picking up the remote and pressing the rewind button on the player. After a few minutes, she paused the video at the scene in question.

"Teana... Subaru..." Hayate began to called out slowly. Both girls, who had been looking completely perplexed at the situation, both widened their eyes in sudden realization. "Please come have a seat at the table."

I bit my lip in anticipation to the point it almost bled. It was the deciding moment, when the two girls would either be open to this sudden initiation into our club, or if they would run away from us in sheer terror. Subaru was the first to stand, and took a seat in the left chair. Teana hesitated, observing the four of us staring at her. Eventually she stood as well, and sat in the seat next to Subaru.

A plate of spaghetti with meatballs was instantly placed in the middle of the two on the table, the open styrofoam lid bouncing back and forth a few times.

"They didn't give you forks, Hayate," Ginga mentioned, looking through the empty bags.

"The dogs didn't have forks in the movie either, Ginga," Hayate replied matter-of-factly.

I intervened quickly. "But _people_ would have forks on a normal date, right? And that's the point of this, isn't it?"

Ginga looked through the cabinets of the clubroom, managing to find two sets of temporary utensils still wrapped in plastic. "Good thing we didn't get around to cleaning yet!"

Teana looked at the dusty plastic wrapped around the silverware skeptically. "So, now what do we do?"

"You are going to see if that scene is possible between two people," Hayate replied. Before Teana could ask the reason, Hayate quickly added, "It's research."

Subaru smiled at Teana. "Come on, Tea! It could be fun. I promise I won't kiss you at the end," she teased.

Teana's face instantly erupted in a blush. "You better not, Subaru!" she yelled while giving her friend a small push to the arm.

Ginga hit the play button, and the scene restarted on the television. Mimicking the first movements on the screen, Teana and Subaru dug their forks into the spaghetti quickly and shoved some noodles in their mouths. They both instantly froze and their eyes opened wide.

"_Ipfs cold_," Subaru mumbled with her mouth full.

Hayate motioned them to continue by pointing at the scene on the television again. Subaru noticed her dog character slurp some noodles quickly into his mouth, so she attempted to do the same. After a second of sucking, she panicked as she began choking on them and coughed repeatedly, eventually spitting the food out of her mouth and onto her plate.

Teana looked disgusted, but then saw her dog character do the same motion on screen. She quickly started sucking her noodle in as well, and near the end the tail flicked and splashed tomato sauce directly into her eye. She instantly put her hand over it, trying to get the stinging liquid out as fast as she could.

Subaru's dog character then began to eat a large amount of noodles, and Subaru mimicked it, forcing the food down. There was a pause in the scene, and then Subaru's character was again shoving more spaghetti in his mouth. Subaru moaned but did the same motion again, beginning to look sick at this point as she slowly consumed the food.

"Okay guys, big scene, here we go," Hayate announced, placing her hands on both of their shoulders. Teana and Subaru quickly located a noodle that was long enough to work. Using their fingers, they each attempted to place an end of the noodle in their mouths while looking away like the dogs on the screen. They each missed, their mouths opening and closing in the air repeatedly in search of the strand.

Finally, they both had an end in their mouths and were slowing making chewing motions as they consumed the noodle. As their mouths got closer, Subaru looked apologetic and Teana looked concerned and embarrassed, but neither gave indication that they were going to stop. Hayate, Ginga, and I leaned in closer as the few remaining inches were eaten until suddenly - - the noodle snapped between them.

"AHHHH, _damn it_!" the three of us yelled in frustration, then immediately broke out into hysterical laughter.

Subaru leaned back in her chair and stared blankly at the ceiling, while Teana placed her forehead against the table.

"That wasn't romantic at all!" she cried.

* * *

Hayate and I were leaving the campus ground's together, having already said goodbye to Ginga and our two new club members. After the 'spaghetti incident', as we were already calling it, I quickly left a summary for Signum on our whiteboard about what we had learned that day. Hayate and I were chatting and laughing about what had happened as we walked, turning right at the corner of the front entrance to the school.

Gold suddenly invaded my vision, and burgundy soon followed, and once again I felt like her eyes pierced straight through me. I stopped in my tracks at once, seeing the girl from a week prior standing before me again. She was in our school uniform this time, white blouse and skirt slightly illuminated in the early evening streetlights around us.

I had not seen her since we had previously encountered each other, but she had entered my thoughts in every idle moment I have had since. She was standing on the edge of the sidewalk near the empty street, as if she had been placed there specifically for me to find her.

"Who is that?" Hayate asked from beside me, still walking. Finally noticing my halted movement, Hayate returned to my side. "Nanoha, are you okay?"

I broke my gaze from the blond in front of me to look at Hayate, and attempted to speak again but found no words able to leave my lips. Hayate gave a look of concern to me, and then returned her stare to the girl in front of us.

On the horizon of the street, two headlights began to approach our scene. Eventually, a black car stopped in the road in front of the girl as she reached for the door handle. She entered the backseat area and shut the door, and as the car drove away, the girl once again exited my life as quickly as she had entered it.

When the car was gone from our vision, Hayate grabbed my hand gently. "Come on, Nanoha. Let's go home," was all she said.

* * *

"Here, Nanoha. Subaru and Teana signed the updated form," Ginga said, passing a piece of paper to me. I looked down and saw _Teana Lanster _written in a beautiful cursive signature, and _Subaru Nakajima _spelled out in clumsy printed letters on our club membership form. I smiled, their personalities radiating through, even in their writing. There had been ten slots available on the form to officially add members, but we did not anticipate the need for any more than the five currently filled in.

It was still our lunch period, and looking at the clock I realized I had a few minutes left before it ended. "I'm going to take this over to the student council room now, okay?" I said.

Hayate and Ginga agreed, immediately turning back to discuss the movies they wanted the club to watch that week. I smiled at the two, who had grown so close over the last month or so, as I exited the classroom. I was happy for Hayate, who always had trouble making friends in the past with her outlandish personality. Ginga seemed to compliment her quirks in many ways, almost like they were performing a rehearsed comedy routine.

I began my journey down the hallway, but before I could turn the corner to head to the student council room, I stopped. I felt a sensation never known to me before suddenly consume me. It was a feeling of premonition, a sixth sense of recognition.

I could _feel_ her presence, and it was very close.

Smiling, I pressed my back to the wall, and then peeked around the corner carefully. I saw the golden blond girl staring at a bulletin board in the hallway next to me. I pulled back before she could see me, feeling like I had just won a little game I was playing with myself.

Deciding to gather my courage, I pulled myself from the wall completely and rounded the corner. Fully expecting her to be in my vision again, I was met with nothing. I looked quickly to my left and right, and even behind me, but the blond had simply vanished. Disappointed, I started walking down the new hallway towards my original destination.

"I knew you were there... Somehow..." a voice suddenly called out from behind me. I turned quickly, startled by the husky voice that had just entered my world. The blond was leaning against the wall of the doorway to a classroom, having apparently hidden there from me as I was doing the same behind my wall.

The piece of paper I had in my hand escaped my grasp in my sudden movement, and it flew towards the girl, the corner landing under her toe - - just as the previous paper had done in our first encounter.

"How?" I breathed out, inferring to both her sensing me, and the paper's unbelievable journey to rest under her foot once again.

She bent down to pick up the paper from the floor. "Serendipity, maybe?" she said with a slight smile.

I gasped. "_I love that movie..._" I whispered to her.

She laughed a little at my response, and then looked down at the paper in her hands. She read it carefully, her eyes not betraying any of her thoughts or intentions.

"Hey, Nanoha!" a voice suddenly yelled from behind me. I turned to see Alisa and Suzuka, the president and vice-president of the student council, approaching me. "We got the consent sheet Signum signed this morning, so your club is now official. We just wanted to tell you before lunch was over," Alisa said.

"We will just need the other form, declaring all the members, whenever you have a chance," Suzuka added.

"Oh, right. I actually have it right here." I turned back to face the blond but she had disappeared again, and I then realized I could no longer 'feel' her presence near me anymore. I saw the club sheet hanging by a pin on the bulletin board and as I retrieved it, I could do nothing but feel a sense of pure elation wash over me at the new addition to the form.

"Here you go, Suzuka," I said, handing her the list as I beamed. "The five of us... and Fate-chan."

* * *

**THIRD PERSON POV**

The last bell of the day had just chimed, and the students in the classroom were beginning to stand up from their desks and collect their belongings, eventually making their way towards the exit. Fate lingered in her seat a little longer, still consumed by her thoughts that had been persistent since the last portion of her lunch break. She had her third encounter with the girl named 'Nanoha' in the hallway outside her classroom, near the bulletin board. She had felt an unknown emotion wash over her, which had alerted Fate that the girl was close by, even though she had not seen the girl before that moment.

"_What was that feeling...?_" Fate asked herself one last time, before finally standing up from her desk. She was about to make a journey around the campus, in attempt to locate the club she had spontaneously signed up for. She had noted from the form that the meetings were held in the former faculty lounge, but she had no idea where that was in the school. As she began to gather her things, she was unaware that Nanoha was already in motion to lead her in the right direction.

Fate exited her classroom to face the same bulletin board as before, and she noticed a new piece of paper had appeared in the center. The sign, hung just 10 seconds prior while Fate was collecting her things at her desk, simply said the word '_Serendipity_' and had an arrow pointing right.

Fate removed the paper from the board and looked down the hallway in the arrow's direction. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but made her way down it anyway, hoping to find Nanoha nearby.

When she reached the end of the hallway that intersected with another, she was confused as she did not find the mysterious girl there as expected. Her vision was then drawn to a locker that was slightly open in the center of the otherwise closed ones, and she felt the instinctual need to look inside it.

Fate opened the locker and saw it empty, except for a simple card resting on the bottom that read - - "_A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it._" Fate quickly glanced around, and then turned to look back down the hallway she had just walked out of. At the end of it was Nanoha, waving at her shyly in the distance.

As Fate began to start walking towards the copper-haired girl, she witnessed Nanoha giggle a little, and turn to run down the hallway opposite from her. "Hey!" Fate called out, immediately starting to chasing after the girl as fast as she could.

She made it to the corner of the passage where she had witnessed Nanoha run away, only to be met with an empty hallway. She walked down it, peering quickly into all the classrooms, find all of them unoccupied. She walked to the very end and, noticing a staircase leading to the first floor nearby, peered over the side to the first floor.

Fate's burgundy eyes met with Nanoha's sapphire ones, who was at the base of the stairs looking up. She had been waiting for Fate to catch up, and was immediately in motion again with a laugh as soon as Fate saw her.

"Nanoha!" Fate yelled as she ran down the stairs after her. She heard the sound of a door open from below her, and as she rounded the corner of the first portion in the stairwell, she could see a doorway at the base of the stairs leading outside.

Once outside of the building, Fate had lost sight of her prey once again. Before she could resume her search, she heard a phone ring suddenly. Intrigued, Fate reached over and picked up one of the school's on-campus phones situated on the wall behind her.

"Fate-chan, what are you up to?" Nanoha's voice sang out sweetly on the other end of the line.

"Oh, nothing much," she casually replied while looking around her. "What about you, Nanoha?" Fate was smiling, knowing that Nanoha was stalling her to get farther away in the chase.

Nanoha giggled. "I'm on my way to a club meeting."

"Oh, so was I actually," Fate replied. "Although I don't know where I'm supposed to go, honestly."

"That's too bad," Nanoha teased. "Nyahaha, I'm sure things will look up for you soon, though."

Fate turned completely around and saw Nanoha standing at the top of a short flight of stairs near the courtyard entrance, about fifty feet away. She gave a Fate a wave, and then Fate watched her click the 'end' button on the cell phone in her hand. She was back to running again before Fate could even hang up the phone.

Fate chased Nanoha all through the middle of the courtyard with the two of them laughing together. Nanoha screamed playfully when Fate finally caught up to her near the front of a building.

"I thought I could outrun you the whole way!" she exclaimed as she was caught by the arm by Fate. She tried to pout, but was smiling too much to succeed.

"You did a pretty good job, Nanoha," Fate said, laughing and trying to catch her breath slightly.

Nanoha grabbed Fate's hand. "Come on, Fate-chan, I'll show you the way." Nanoha led Fate up the stairs of the building and to the clubroom door, and as she opened the door, they were met with everyone's smiling faces.

"Everyone, this is Fate-chan, our newest member!" Nanoha announced.

* * *

**OMAKE: THIRD PERSON POV**

Signum entered in the room of the club she had suddenly been placed in charge of the day before. It was the morning after the club's first meeting, and Signum had arrived to retrieve the summary of the events before. She looked at the white board near the table, and noted the area marked "What We Learned Today."

Signum's head turned to the side as she tried to decipher the message:

_*Noodle consistency is vital_

_*Dog romance is easier to obtain than human_

_*Welcome T. and S._

Sighing and closing her eyes for a moment, she eventually reached down and uncapped the dry erase marker, signing her initials next to the cryptic message. "_Still better than dealing with Shamal's wrath..._" she thought to herself before exiting the room.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone for the follows, reviews, and favorites so quickly. And an extra-special thanks to **xshana06x,** **BrokenSiLence1991**, **CryingLeo**, and **yurifans21** for your continued support through all my stories. Your reviews keep me motivated to write and make this a lot of fun! And to my guest reviewer, we shall see who naturally takes on which role as the story progresses! Until next time =^.^= Nissanity


	3. Chapter 3 - Fire and Ice

**A/N: **Like my other story, Nanoha and Fate do not hesitate to start being cute and affectionate with each other right away. I'm not the best at drawing out their courtship over tons of chapters, as my impatience to just want to push their faces together and make them kiss already is a big factor in my writing. With that said, please enjoy the next chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor the movie _Titanic _or characters from it; or any other movie, actor, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 3 – ****__****Fire and Ice**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

"So, what are you guys up to?" I asked as Fate and I entered the clubroom.

Hayate, Ginga, Teana, and Subaru were all crowded around the conference table, a few pieces of paper between them, as I led Fate by the hand over to their area to join them.

"Hey, Nanoha! We were just coming up with official rules for the club," Hayate replied. She then looked at Fate standing behind me. "Hi! I'm Hayate, it's great to meet you," Hayate warmly offered, holding out her hand in front of her.

"I'm Fate. It's nice to meet you, too," came Fate's soft reply with a smile. Introductions were made between her and the other club members, who all seemed genuinely happy to have Fate in the club.

"Let's go sit in the common area so that we can discuss club business more comfortably," Hayate announced after the introductions, grabbing some of the papers from the table.

Teana and Subaru sat down on the couch in the middle, with Teana grumpily pushing Subaru away for sitting too close to her unnecessarily. Ginga took the single armchair to the left, while Hayate stood in front of the group with her back to the television. It defaulted the love seat to Fate and I, who sat down gently next to me, being considerate not to crowd me. I found the gesture to be incredibly endearing.

"Okay everybody," Hayate began, "since our group has grown like it has, we have decided that it would be a good idea to set up some ground rules for everyone. We will also be assigning official roles and titles for each member this afternoon. That way we are all on the same page regarding our research, and the best way to manage our club time to produce the most results together."

From the corner of my eye, I witnessed Fate turn her head slightly at the word 'research', in which I immediately kicked myself mentally. I hadn't had a chance to tell Fate about the true nature of the club's intentions, and we were about to dive headlong into a discussion about just that.

The five original members had concluded at lunch that afternoon, before my surreal encounter with Fate, that scene reenactments provided incredibly valuable information for the database. We were planning on reenacting famous romantic scenes from movies, which we had now nicknamed 'dates', and then documenting our findings on their probability of success in real life situations.

"So, Rule Number One," Hayate began, "You do not talk about MOVIE CLUB."

Ginga, Teana, and Subaru nodded solemnly, but I couldn't help let a small laugh escape my lips at the movie reference. Eventually I nodded in agreement as well, while Fate began to look even more confused.

"Rule Number Two: You DO NOT talk about MOVIE CLUB." Hayate emphasized the sentence by pointing the paper in her hand from one side of the group to the other.

Hayate raised up three fingers. "Rule Number Three: If someone says "stop" or goes limp, taps out the 'date' is over."

Fate slowly turned to look at me bewildered at this point, and I met her questioning eyes timidly with my own. "_I'll explain later,_" was all I could finally whisper apologetically in her ear.

"Rule Number Four: Only two girls to a 'date'," she continued to read. "Rule Number Five: One 'date' at a time."

Hayate then pointed the paper directly at Ginga. "Rule Number Six: Shirts and shoes, ALWAYS." Ginga folded her arms across her chest and snubbed her nose at Hayate in pretend protest.

"Rule Number Seven: 'Dates' will go on as long as they have to. And finally, Rule Number Eight: If this is your first night at MOVIE CLUB, you HAVE to 'date'," Hayate concluded, staring directly at Fate.

Fate's eyes popped open in surprise, and then she glanced at me nervously.

"I'm kidding, Fate! Sorry, that actually isn't a rule we are going to use for the club," Hayate added, trying to reassure the newest club member after her scare. "So, does anyone have any questions?"

Teana raised her hands. "So, are we going to take turns dating everyone else?"

Hayate shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it, honestly. I suppose we could take a vote on it as a group?"

I spoke up. "I think it would be more believable if we tried dating just one other group member, similar to how it would in real life with one partner."

Everyone seemed to nod in agreement with my statement. Subaru grinned her goofy grin at Teana, who rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in defeat. Hayate made a motion between Ginga and herself with the papers in her hand and mouthed, "_You and me?_" Ginga gave her a look as if to say, "_Yes, of course, idiot._"

I didn't look at Fate at first, feeling self-conscious that I hadn't warned her about all this, and now she was defaulted to me as her partner. Glancing my eyes finally towards her, I found her already looking my direction. I was relieved to see her smiling at me, as if to confirm she was okay with the situation. For added measure, she then reached over and grabbed my hand in hers in support, and I could not hide my wild grin and blush forming at her gesture.

She leaned over next to speak next to my ear. "I still don't understand all of this, but being your partner is fine with me," she quietly informed me.

My blush darkened, but before I could respond to her statement, Subaru suddenly had another question. "So, how are we going to go about this exactly?"

Hayate began to explain the roles that would be assigned to each member that night so that our group could coordinate the scenes efficiently. Ginga and I kept our same positions as before, with Ginga now dubbed "Material Expert," and I was now officially the "Administrative Specialist."

Teana volunteered to be the "Event Coordinator," in which she would designate which scenes in the movies would be reenacted, and by which partners. She would be assisted closely by Subaru, the club's new "Scene Manager." Her role was to provide any crucial elements to the reenactment, like props or music.

Fate was asked to be "Scene Enforcer," which meant she had to make sure the elements of the scene were being incorporated correctly during the reenactments. By this time, she seemed to fully understand what our club's true intentions were, and appeared content with participating.

Hayate took on the role as "Director/Interpreter," similar to what she had been before. She would give the ultimate decision on the outcome of the scene, any nuances she observed that could be implemented in real life, and whether the 'date' could be deemed romantic or not.

"So, as the material expert, I would like to propose an extensive study of a movie that has been deemed one of the most romantic films ever made as our first project," Ginga stated once our roles were assigned.

"Which one?" Hayate asked.

"_Titanic,_" she replied, holding the DVD copy in her hand.

"That's a good choice," I confirmed, thinking of the parts where the couple would watch each from a distance, and then trying to save each other as the ship was sinking. The movie had a lot of romantic elements I favored.

With the group in consensus over the first movie project, we came up with a tentative plan for the rest of the week. We would watch the movie as a group together tomorrow, familiarizing ourselves with the research material. Teana would then form a 'date' schedule for the next two days, and Subaru would gather any necessary materials we would need for the scenes. We would return as a group the final day to discuss the results of the 'dates' and I would update the database.

"Okay, with that, this club meeting is dismissed," Hayate concluded. "Look forward to watching the movie tomorrow, everyone!"

We were all collecting our belongings, and I made sure to stay close to Fate as we were leaving the clubroom to head home. "Fate-chan, do you have a ride home again?" I asked, remembering the night before when she was picked up from the sidewalk in front of the school.

She nodded. "Yes, my mother Lindy picks me up after school. How do you normally get home?"

"Oh, I'm lucky, I live pretty close to here so I just walk home." I let an air of silence fall over us as we entered the courtyard, as I then approached the next subject. "Fate-chan, you're not upset, are you?" I asked quietly.

Fate looked at me surprised. "Upset? About what?"

I looked away nervously. "For me not being able to warn you about the club and what we do in it, I guess."

"No, I'm not upset," she replied, shaking her head. "It's certainly different, but everyone is really nice, and they seem passionate about it. I'm glad I can be a part of it, although I'm not sure if I can help out all that much."

"You're my partner, Fate-chan. That's plenty for me." I looked up at her and smiled, and a blush peppered her cheeks slightly in return.

"Nanoha..." she began, but was cut off as we reached the front entrance to the school. The black car that I had seen her enter into the night before was already parked at the sidewalk, waiting for her. I stopped, about to turn right towards my home myself.

"See you, Fate-chan," I called as she started towards the car. "Hope you are ready for tomorrow!"

Fate walked backwards, smiling at me as she responded. "Goodnight, Nanoha. I can't wait," she said, before turning to enter into the backseat of the vehicle. She looked at me one last time before shutting her car door.

I waved as the car drove away, and when it was out of sight I brought my hand back in front of me. "_I can't wait either..._" I whispered happily to myself.

* * *

_Day 1: Project Iceberg_

**Nanoha POV**

"Alright everyone, there has been a slight modification to the plans for today," Hayate said as our group started gathering around the common area in the clubroom.

"It has been brought to my attention by our event manager," she continued, and then indicated to Teana standing behind her, "that we have an opportunity for a dating-related study, independent of the reenactments."

Teana stepped forward next to Hayate, a clipboard in hand. "It's true. It occurred to me last night that watching movies together is itself a common ritual during the dating process. So I think we should take advantage of the opportunity, and act as if today's movie viewing were a date as well."

Six blushes immediately erupted around the clubroom at the statement, and all of us awkwardly looked around the room and the seating arrangements, avoiding each others glances.

Subaru cleared her throat. "When Teana told me the idea, I thought I would bring some props for everyone." She then reached behind the couch and produced three bowls full of popcorn, and then three drinks for the partners to share.

I considered where would be the ideal place for mine and Fate's first 'date', and I opted for the loveseat we had occupied the day before. She again sat down gingerly next to me on my left, an air of awkwardness surrounding us a little bit this time.

Subaru and Teana opted for the couch in the middle again. I couldn't help but laugh to myself at their seating placements once they settled in, which was to sit at opposite ends as far away from each other as possible.

Hayate and Ginga stood in front of the single seat armchair, wondering how they were going to accomplish a 'date' in it. Eventually, Hayate sat down first in the chair, to which Ginga comfortably sat down sideways on her lap, her legs dangling off one side of the armrest. She reached down, grabbed a piece of popcorn, and popped it in Hayate's mouth.

The four of us looked on, stunned. "Y-You're like at expert level already," Teana stammered.

Ginga reached over from Hayate's lap to grab the remote for the DVD player from the table. "I saw it in a movie once," was all she said as she hit the play button.

As much as I was enjoying watching the movie now playing before me, my mind was mostly occupied by thoughts of my partner next to me. I doubted Fate would be the type to instigate any type of affectionate behavior that could be witnessed on a real date, so I knew it would most likely fall to me to attempt anything in that aspect. If I was brave enough to do anything like that, of course. I glanced over at her face as she watched the movie, and my nervousness kept me from moving from my current spot.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted movement on the couch. Subaru was starting to slide over on the couch slowly towards Teana. I watched Teana's demeanor change, and with every inch Subaru moved closer, the grimace on her face would increase in return. Subaru did make it over to Teana eventually, and the two sat tensely next to each other for a few more minutes.

I could only stare in astonishment as I witnessed Subaru lift both her arms over her head as if stretching, and then attempted to bring one arm around Teana's shoulders in the most cliché date-move ever attempted since the beginning of time.

"You get an '_F_' for lack of originality, Subaru" Hayate suddenly said from the armchair, halting the blue-haired girl in her attempt. "You have to go back and try a different approach."

Subaru pulled her arm back, then cupped her chin in her hand with her elbow leaned against her knee, trying to think of something new to attempt. Teana watched her struggle painfully from the corner of her eye for a minute, before finally coming to her partner's aide. She looped one arm through Subaru's and leaned against her slightly. The two were still tense and looked uncomfortable, but it was a noble effort on Teana's part and Subaru looked relieved.

I knew it would be our turn next, but thankfully the other group members turned their attention back to the movie. I noticed that the popcorn bowl and drink that were assigned to Fate and I were still on the conference table, so I went to retrieve them in hopes that I could somehow find a use for them in the current situation.

After picking them up from table, I walked around the backside of the couch and turned the corner near Fate. As I attempted to cross between her and the coffee table, I felt my foot trip over one of the table legs and I began to fall forward.

"Nanoha!" Fate exclaimed, and in one fluid motion she wrapped her arm around my waist and twisted both of us as I was in mid air. I landed safely with my back on the couch, with Fate coming to rest on top of me. We both looked at each other stunned at what had just happened, and I turned my head and saw that none of the popcorn had spilled in the shuffle.

"Whoa..." Subaru said slowly, eyes wide at what she had just witnessed.

"It's almost like that was meant to happen somehow," Teana mused.

Ginga looked up to her partner playfully. "Sorry Hayate, I don't think I could compete with that."

"That's too bad, my legs are starting to falling asleep, so we could have used a new plan," Hayate teased back.

During the comments from the other group members, Fate had removed herself from on top of me and was leaning back, still facing my direction. I used my elbows to pull myself up against the back armrest of the couch, since both of my hands were still occupied with the popcorn and the drink. We were both blushing nervously at each other, not really sure what to do next.

In a move that surprised everybody in the room, Fate smiled a little as she thought of something, and turned around and faced her back to me. She gently leaned back so that she was now laying against me on the couch, the back of her head coming to rest against my chest. She took the soda from my hand, opened it and took a drink, and then set it down on the coffee table. After my initial shock passed, I placed the bowl of popcorn on her stomach and took a few pieces, smiling down at her from above in appreciation.

"Okay, you win this round, Nanoha," Hayate said from her seat across the room. "But just know, Ginga and I _will_ 'out-date' you and Fate from here on out."

I could only giggle at the notion of "competitive dating" before returning my attention to the movie, with Fate now cuddled in front of me, as we enjoyed the rest of the movie in comfortable silence.

* * *

_Day 2: Project Iceberg_

I decided to wait outside of Fate's classroom after school to walk to the clubroom with her the following day. I had asked if she wanted to have lunch together earlier, but she was forced to politely decline, saying she had to finish some transfer paperwork with the school administrator.

"Fate-chan!" I sang from the wall I was leaning against as she soon as she walked out of her classroom.

"Nanoha!" she replied in surprise, her face instantly forming a smile when she saw me. "Did you come to meet me for our club today?"

I nodded, grinning back at her. "Yep! I thought we could walk together if that's okay?"

"Yes, of course!" she replied. I couldn't help but notice how happy she seemed with the notion of going there with me, which made me elated in return. We walked down the hallway slowly, remaining in a comfortable silence until we were almost alone.

"So Fate-chan, about yesterday..." I began, feeling a little blush form at the thought of our experience watching the movie together on the loveseat. I glanced at Fate and noticed her face redden a little bit as well.

"Yes?" was her tentatively reply.

"I-I hope that it didn't embarrass you too much, doing that with me and all." I could feel my face grow even hotter, but it was important I knew how Fate felt about the pretend date, and whether she had any concerns over it.

Fate looked at me. "What about you, Nanoha? Did it bother you?"

"No, not at all! I liked it!" I replied quickly, and then scolded myself for my overly-eager answer.

Fate laughed softly. "Me too, Nanoha," she assured me.

We didn't say anything after that until we reached the clubroom, allowing a new aura to fill the atmosphere around us. It was a feeling that I had never experienced before and one I had trouble describing. It was almost as if a warmth was emitting from her, and I could almost feel it physically against my skin.

Fate held the door open for me as we entered the clubroom, and we found that everyone else had already made it there ahead of us.

"Okay, everyone, I have the first scenes picked out, and which partners are going to reenact them." Teana was standing in the front of the group, her back to the television, after Fate and I joined them in the common area. She had a clipboard in her hands and was flipping through the papers clipped to it, checking her notes.

"How many scenes are we doing total?" I asked, sitting down in my now usual spot next to Fate.

"Six. So it will be two scenes for each couple between today and tomorrow," she replied. "I've scheduled three for today, first being Hayate and Ginga, next being myself and Subaru, and finally the last scene will be Nanoha and Fate."

Subaru walked up beside Teana with a medium-sized cardboard box in her hands. "I brought some props that we might need today." She reached into the box and pulled out a bowtie and a red dress, passing them to Hayate and Ginga.

"I borrowed them from Mom and Dad's closet," Subaru added as Ginga looked at them. Ginga nodded in recognition once her little sister informed her of their origin.

"Oh my god, I know what scene we get to do!" Ginga suddenly exclaimed, clutching the dress to her chest in excitement.

Teana nodded. "Yep, you two," pointing to Hayate and Ginga, "will be doing the scene where the male character sees the female character coming down the main staircase before dinner. It's a short scene, but it's still important."

Hayate turned to asked Ginga to replay that scene, but Ginga already had the DVD player remote in her hand furiously pushing buttons. "What?! I really like that scene!" Ginga replied indignantly to Hayate's smirk.

"How are we going to do this?" I asked, looking around the clubroom.

"Well, there's always the stairs outside?" Fate mentioned, motioning towards the hallway.

I looked over at Hayate, who was busy adjusting her bowtie. "Will you two go scout out the hallway and make sure no one is around?" she asked. In the background, Ginga was slipping the red dress over her head while Teana took over the remote control duties.

Fate and I exited the clubroom and split up to ensure that no students were in the building. This portion of the building was used less frequently than most, so the chances of us getting caught by someone else were low. For added security, I locked the front entrance to the building, just in case someone happened to want to make entrance through the door.

I walked back up to the clubroom door and stuck my head inside. "Okay, you guys are all set!" I called to them.

Hayate was first out the door and headed to the base of the stairs. Ginga stayed at the top, and the rest of us made our way down to join Hayate. We began to position ourselves around the base, trying to get the best vantage point to witness the scene.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Subaru suddenly said, and proceeded to pull out an MP3 device with a small speaker attached in the headphone port. She clicked a few buttons, and it began to play recorded orchestra music.

"You're really good at what you do," I said quietly to Subaru, sincerely impressed with her.

"Thanks, Nanoha," she replied shyly, blushing a little at the compliment.

We had decided previously that there would be no guidance or help from the other group members once the 'date' had started, with the exception of Fate, the scene enforcer. She was allowed to interfere or even restart the scene if she saw the partners straying too far from the original. Ad-libbing the lines was fine, since we were aiming more for recapturing the romance of the scene, if possible.

"And, action!" I said, filling in for Hayate's role as director temporarily.

Hayate began the scene with one hand formally behind her back, mimicking the male character's movements at the base of the stairs. Ginga began her slow trip towards her, and Hayate took her cue to look up at her slowly. She met Ginga's eyes, who was giving Hayate a gentle smile as she continued her decent down the stairs towards her. Hayate never took her eyes off of Ginga, and I noticed a hint of wonder and new appreciation in her eyes at the girl in the red dress who was coming closer to her.

I raised my hands to my mouth as I watched my friends' performance, completely awestruck. I looked up at Ginga and noticed her smile had faded, and she was now looking at Hayate like she was seeing her in a new light as well. She step down the last few steps slowly to meet her partner and as she stopped, Hayate reached for her hand gently. Never taking her eyes away from Ginga's, she brought her hand up to her mouth and kissed the back of it.

"I saw that in a movie once, and I've always wanted to try it_,_" she said, half quoting the movie character and half expressing her own feelings. Ginga gave a small but genuine laugh at the comment before her hand was lowered back to her side. Hayate raised her arm, offering it to Ginga to escort her down the remaining steps. Ginga paused for a moment, before raising her hand to take Hayate's offered arm in her own.

As they turned and began walking away from the stairs, Ginga's eyes never left Hayate's face, although she did begin to laugh the more they walked away from the stairs. Hayate broke into laughter as well, and Ginga suddenly turned and hugged Hayate roughly.

"That was so cool!" she yelled happily as she embraced her partner, her face beaming with excitement.

Hayate returned the hug and then pulled her away by the shoulders. "That worked! It totally worked!" she exclaimed to her in return.

The four remaining group members crowded around them, giving congratulations on their job well done. As we began to climb back up the stairs to the clubroom, Hayate looked at me over her shoulder.

"So what do you think Nanoha, on a scale of one to five in terms of romantic aptitude?" she asked me.

I put a finger to my chin in thought. "Hmmmm... I would say a solid four." I made a mental note to write their score on the whiteboard as soon as we returned to the room. Sensing that a competition might be forming between Hayate and me, I vowed to have an even more romantic 'date' with Fate when our turn came.

Teana and Subaru were next, and they were reenacting a scene where the two main characters where attending a party on the ship, and they were dancing together to an upbeat Italian song. We all pushed the furniture out of the way to form a dance floor in the middle of the room. The scene required a lot of space, as the dance movements were fast and all over the place.

Subaru showed me how to operate the MP3 player for the song they would be using for their scene. As soon as I started the music, Teana and Subaru took their marks.

"I can't do this," Teana started her lines, although from the look on her face, I believed she might just be saying what she actually felt at the moment.

"We're going to have to get a little bit closer, like this!" Subaru recited her line in return, and then immediately put her hand on the small of Teana's back and pulled her closer to her. Teana went pale, her face now just inches from Subaru's, although she didn't let herself break eye contact from her partner.

Subaru grabbed one of Teana's hand in hers and started moving them in circles around the floor quickly. "I don't know the steps!" Teana cried.

"Neither do I, just go with it. Don't think!" Subaru replied as they started moving around faster and making bigger circles around the room. I had huge smile on my face as I watched the two of them bounce around the room having a great time together, laughing hysterically.

Subaru broke away and put her hands in her pockets, and began to dance a made-up solo jig to the music. Teana then did the same, with the two of them going back and forth a few times. Eventually, they grasped hands together in the middle of the room and started spinning in circles like the characters in the movie had done.

The spinning started slow, but it was not long before they had gained speed and were twirling at an alarming rate. Sensing what was about to occur but unable to do anything in time to help, I could only watch the two girls as they lost grip of their hands in the center and flew away from each other across the room. Subaru went crashing into a chair and Teana slid on her butt all the way to a wall, eventually coming to rest with her back against it after a hard 'thud'.

Fate and I raced over to Teana to check on her, while Hayate and Ginga tended to Subaru. As we helped Teana to stand back up, she asked Hayate dizzily, "So, how did we do?"

"Well," Hayate cautiously answered, "you could have gotten a four, but we are going to have to deduct a few points for your dismount and landing."

She nodded her head in agreement, and Subaru eventually made her way over to her partner and put an arm around her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry Tea! That was the most fun two points I've ever gotten in my life."

Teana blushed and pushed Subaru a little on her side. "Shut up, Subaru!" She then paused. "Well, it wasn't _that_ bad, I guess..."

Before they could say anything else to each other, the door to the clubroom suddenly opened and Signum rushed into the room. She looked like her breathing was elevated, like she had just climbed the stairs in a rush.

"What's going on in here? I heard a crash," she said, looking around at each of us questioningly.

Hayate flew over to her aunt and unexpectedly gave her a huge hug. "Sig-Mama! I'm so glad you're here!"

Signum froze in complete shock at her niece's actions, as well as the new nickname she had just recieved.

"What did you just call me?!" she asked in horror.

"Sig-Mama, would you like something to eat?" Ginga asked, extending to her the tray of cookies she had brought to the club that day.

"You should come watch the movie with us! Please, Sig-Mama?" I pleaded, starting to make my way over to where she and Hayate were, with my arms extended for a hug as well.

Signum peeled her niece off of her and started walking backwards towards the front door. "No thank you, Takamachi. Well, everything seems in to be in order here. Carry on," she quickly finished and exited the room.

Hayate turned back to the group after she left and rubbed her hands together. "Well, that should keep her from coming into the clubroom unannounced again, won't it?"

Teana and Subaru nodded their head slowly in agreement after the manipulation they just saw occur with our adviser. From the corner of my eye, I caught Fate looking at me with an amused, impressed look on her face. I slowly walked across the room and stood in front of her with my hands clasped behind my back. "So are you ready for our scene, Fate-chan?" I asked.

"I think so," she replied with a genuine smile. "Do you know which one it is?" I shook my head to indicate I did not.

"The railing scene," Teana called out from behind us. "You know, where the two characters - ?"

"I know the scene!" I interrupted, my face suddenly burning red hot. "It's the most important one and it's, um, super intimate."

Subaru began placing a few step-stools in the middle of the room. "Don't worry, you guys don't have to do the whole scene. Just stop before the kissing part!"

Teana flipped through the papers on her clipboard. "Fate, in this scene you be the character in the back and Nanoha, you are the one in front. This stool here will act as the railing for you to stand on," she added, pointing to the shorter stool. Fate's was a bit taller and situated directly behind mine.

Ginga had the DVD player remote in her hand and was searching the video. "We will replay the scene once before you guys start, so try to remember the few lines if you can."

Fate and I watched the two minute scene before us, my heartbeat increasing with each second that passed. Her eyes did not betray whatever emotions she felt while watching the screen, although I knew my nervousness was probably written all over my face. Before the kiss between the two characters occurred on screen, Ginga hit the pause button on the DVD player.

We took our marks, and Subaru pressed a button on the MP3 player. The sound of gentle ocean waves emitted from the speaker.

"You are _really_ good at what you do," I said to Subaru, laughing a little. I then looked back at Fate, knowing we were now ready for our 'date' to begin.

"Give me your hand," she said softly, reaching out to me. I took her hand gently, and allowed her to pull me closer to her. I was immediately lost in her burgundy eyes as I closed the distance, feeling as if we had just entered our own little world where only she and I existed at that moment. I observed her searching my eyes, as if trying to confirm that I was experiencing what she was. Eventually, she seemed to have obtained her answer and then smiled gently at me.

"Now, close your eyes," she requested. I paused for a moment, still lost in a daze of burgundy and gold before me. "Go on," she continued gently. I finally shut my eyes with a smile still present on my lips. I was now relying on all my senses other than sight to gauge her, and the overwhelming sensation that I could _feel_ her nearby had returned.

I felt Fate move behind me slightly and put her hand on the small of my back. "Now, step up," I heard her say near my ear. I climbed onto the first step of the stool tentatively, and then felt her move to be behind me completely. I could clearly feel her eyes dancing along my neck and back and as she searched for the next area she would be touching me.

"Keep your eyes closed, don't peek," she instructed, as she then placed her hands around my waist to steady me. "Now, step up again." As I took the second step up, Fate walked onto her stool at the same time, continuing to support me from behind. I felt her breath lightly against my neck as she moved to position herself around me.

"Hold on, keep your eyes closed," she reminded me, and I could detect a smile in her tone. She leaned her body into me, with my back coming to rest against her front.

"Do you trust me?" she asked softly in my ear. I felt my breath catch at the feeling of her breath near my skin, along with the sincerity in her voice wanting my genuine answer to her question. I had to swallow hard before I could respond.

"I trust you," I affirmed. Fate began to slowly pull my arms away from my sides like the characters in the movie had done, until they were outstretched. I was relying heavily on her support for balance, surprised at how unsteady I felt with my eyes closed and my arms raised in that position without the reassurance of the ground below me.

"Alright, open your eyes," she finally said. I did slowly, and looked down to realize that she had her arms wrapped gently around my waist, a motion I had not noticed before in my unsteady state. I turned my head to the side and saw her face was close to mine, her chin resting lightly on my shoulder.

She gave me a small smile, and then moved her hands up to my outstretched arms. Placing her hands over mine, she began to gently intertwine our fingers, first bringing them together and then releasing before shifting them to another position. It was a sensation that felt like electricity running through my hands and arms, as if it was coursing directly beneath my skin.

"_Come Josephine in my flying machine...up she goes, up she goes..._" Fate sang playfully in my ear. I felt my head fall back slightly against her shoulder, enjoying the raspy inflections in her voice. I was moving my hands around hers now, relishing the feeling of her soft skin under my slightly rougher fingertips.

Fate brought our arms back to the front of me, hugging me tighter from behind. I turned my head to look at her, and discovered her face just inches from mine, watching me in return.

Lost in the moment, I found myself glancing between her lips and her eyes, not knowing what to expect next. Fate was studying my face as well, as if she was not sure she wanted our experience together to end or not. I held my breath in realization that her lips were now beginning to draw closer to mine. My mind decided to react quicker than my body could and suddenly... my world went dark.

* * *

"...Nanoha? Nanoha, are you okay?" I could hear Fate's gentle voice from above me as I opened my eyes.

As my vision slowly returned, I realized I was laying on the couch in the clubroom and everyone in the group was standing around it, looking down at me concerned.

"What happened?" I moaned, putting my hand to my forehead.

"Rule Number Three: If someone says "stop" or goes limp, taps out the 'date' is over," Hayate recited, and then paused for a moment. "You fainted," she finally informed me.

I groaned as I sat up on the couch with Fate's assistance. "Sorry," I said to her sheepishly.

Fate laughed and shook her head. "I'm just glad your okay, Nanoha."

I looked past her shoulder at the white board. Next to mine and Fate's name someone had written _5++,_ indicating the final result of our 'date', and the first perfect score of the project.

I laid back down on the couch with a smug grin on my face. "I win again, Hayate," I concluded.

* * *

**A/N:** This was another case of having to break up one chapter into two because I just simply wrote too much. Thats never a bad thing, of course. Thanks again to everyone for your positive reviews and follows/favs, it truly is a humbling experience for me!

On a personal note, I have my first assignment for school I'll have to finish this week before I can update again. My goal is to do another chapter of Idol Project first, and then update this one again after by the end of this weekend. Keep you're fingers crossed for me! Until next time ~Nissanity~


	4. Chapter 4 - Take on Me

**A/N: **Okay, okay, I snuck in one more update to this story even though I said I was going to wait. I can't just leave _Titanic_ halfway through, now can I? lol Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor the movie _Titanic _or characters from it; or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 4 – ****__****Take On Me**

* * *

_~Day 3, Project Iceburg~_

******Nanoha POV**

"_...in your eyes, the light the heat... in your eyes, I am complete... in your eyes, I see the doorway..."_

I could faintly hear a song playing behind the door of the clubroom as I pressed my ear against the wood to listen closer. I knew that the song had been used in a famous romantic scene from a movie, but I could not place the source at the moment. I had been delayed in attending today's club meeting, as I had been assigned to cleaning duties after class that day. I opened the door slowly, not quite sure who, or really _what_, I would discover on the other side.

"Okay, Ginga, you have to turn onto your back before the song starts," I heard Fate instruct from the common area of the clubroom.

I stood frozen in the doorway as I saw Ginga lying on the couch on her side, with Fate standing with her back to the television, facing the clubroom. Hayate was standing behind the couch with her legs slightly spread, holding a medium-sized cardboard box over head.

"Nanoha!" Fate exclaimed happily as she noticed my arrival. I saw her click the pause button on Subaru's MP3 player to halt the music, before she made her way in my direction.

I wrapped my arms around Fate's neck to give her a hug. "Fate-chan, are you helping the enemy?" I said playfully next to her ear.

She pulled away to face me, still embracing me around the waist. "I take my responsibility as scene enforcer _very_ seriously, Nanoha," she replied, her burgundy eyes glinting a little mischievously at me.

"Nanoha! Ginga and I decided to do some independent research, since you and Fate are 'out-romancing' us two to nothing so far," Hayate said from across the room. I saw her shift her feet a little to spread them wider, as she then raised the box up higher above her head.

"Fate, can you hit the play button again?" she finally requested. I looked closely at the box Hayate was holding, and noticed it had been crudely drawn on with a black marker to resemble a stereo from the 1980's. Fate quickly hit the play button again on the MP3 player.

"_in your eyes... oh, I want to be that complete... I want to touch the light... the heat I see in your eyes..."_

"Ahhhh, it's the boombox scene from _Say Anything_," I said, finally recalling the famous movie moment.

"Is this working for you?!" Hayate yelled out above the music to Ginga.

Ginga curled up on the couch and burst out laughing. "No! HA! I can't, believe... you thought... it would!" she replied, having trouble talking between gasps.

Hayate lowered her arms in defeat, but was smiling. "It's because I don't have the trenchcoat, isn't it?"

"Fate-chan... turn... it off," I requested, wiping the tears from my eyes from laughter. I then made my way over to the whiteboard to document the findings of their experiment. As I removed the cap from my black dry-erase marker, I looked down at it mournfully as the tip had been completely ruined, undoubtedly from use on the crude cardboard prop. I threw it away and began digging for my spare in my backpack.

Subaru and Teana entered the clubroom shortly after, explaining that they had been assigned cleaning duties as well. With the group all gathered, we could begin to discuss the next round of 'dates'.

Teana picked up her clipboard that she had left on the table the day before. "Okay, so for today's line-up... we have..." She trailed off, and then began to quickly flip between the pages on the clipboard.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Teana's brow began to furl as she stopped on today's schedule again. "Someone changed the scenes, it looks like?" Her face then went from scowl to sudden shock as she read the paper more carefully, but remained silent.

Subaru came up behind her to assist. "Let's see, Nanoha and Fate are doing the drawing scene. Teana and I are doing the scene where Rose saves Jack before he drowns, and Hayate and Ginga are doing... the car scene?!"

Five heads immediately popped up, and then we all slowly turned to look at Ginga in disbelief.

"What?" she finally replied innocently. "It's an important scene in the movie!"

Teana clawed at the modified paper and ripped it from the clipboard, holding it outstretched while she slowly crumbled it in her hand. "Do you really think _any_ of us want to see that?" she growled.

Ginga looked downcast, but reluctantly agreed to the scene she and Hayate were originally slated to do. We began to prepare the common area for Fate and I to preform our reenactment, when I suddenly froze.

"Wait a minute!" I yelled suddenly. "Do I have to... um, get naked for this?"

"Well, only if you want - " Ginga began.

"No, Nanoha! You don't have to get naked," Hayate interrupted quickly, and then turned to look at Ginga. "What is with you today?" she asked her, a hint of laughter in her voice.

Subaru handed Fate a sketchbook and a charcoal pencil. "Here, you will need these," she offered. She then turned to me and produced a necklace. "I couldn't find anything blue. I hope this will be okay."

I looked down at the chain that had just been placed in my hands, and noticed there was a smooth ruby orb attached to it. I couldn't help but admire it in awe, as it looked flawless and of good quality.

"Where did you get this, Subaru?" I asked her, the orb still resting in the palm of my hand as I continued to look at it affectionately.

"I found it outside the entrance to the school. I reported it to the lost and found office, but no one ever came in to claim it," she replied. "So, I just added a chain on it last night to use today."

I glanced past my hand to Fate, and was surprised to see her face looking at the gem in disbelief, her face slightly paled. "Fate-chan, what's wrong? Are you okay?" I asked quickly.

She nodded yes absently, and then shook her head and met my eyes. I was relieved to see her begin to smile at me. "Nanoha, look at this," she began, before moving her hair to the side and placing her hands behind her neck. After a few seconds she had unclasped the necklace she was wearing, and as she pulled it up and out of her shirt, I saw a small yellow triangle pendant dangling from the end.

She placed the pendant in her palm and then moved her hand closer to me. "See?" she asked. I looked down, and noticed a small indention in the middle of the smooth yellow surface, as if something had been set there once before. I instinctively moved the orb over it, and as I dangled it by the chain, I heard a small '_clink' _as the two met, the orb fitting perfectly inside the groove.

"I lost the gem recently," she continued. "I had no idea where though, and I looked everywhere for it. I probably lost it my first day at school, most likely the night you and I saw each other on the sidewalk outside the front entrance."

I smiled at the memory fondly. I slowly curled the ruby gem and chain into the palm of my hand, closed my fingers around it, and started to hand it back to Fate.

"NO!" was screamed simultaneously as Teana, Hayate, Ginga, and Subaru all made motions to stop me from returning it. Fate and I both jumped back, caught completely off-guard by the other girls.

"You can't give it back like that, Nanoha! That's the kind of thing that only happens in the movies!" Hayate proclaimed.

"Yeah yeah, it's like you were supposed to have it," Teana added, her head nodding furiously.

I was reluctant. "Guys, this is Fate-chan's. I can't ju - "

"Nanoha," Fate's voice interrupted me softly, catching my full attention immediately. "I want you to have it. It's true, I think. Somehow you were supposed to end up with it. And now... now it's like we will always be connected."

"Fate-chan..." I began, and I could feel my eyes beginning to form tears as I looked at her smiling face across from me.

"God, we are _never_ going to beat these two," I heard Hayate mutter to Ginga off to my left.

Hayate's comment reconnected me with reality again as I broke my gaze with Fate. I unclasped the chain and connected it behind my neck, with the ruby orb coming to rest in the dip in my chest below my collarbones. It felt warm, and seemed to rest naturally in the spot.

Ginga began to press the buttons on the remote for the DVD player. Eventually, the television was replaying the scene Fate and I were reenacting. I was once again grateful I didn't have to lose my clothes for this 'date'.

"Okay, Nanoha, you are going to come into the scene from near the doorway," Hayate began instructing us. "Fate, you are going to sit in the armchair here. We will be standing around Fate in observation of the reenactment."

Subaru walked up next to me and handed me a coin. "I almost forgot to give you this," she said. "Oh, and for the background music for the scene, I picked the soundtrack to the French movie you really like."

I felt my heart swell with Subaru's endearing gesture. "Thank you, Subaru!" I said, giving her a light hug. I then turned back to look at my partner, who was sitting in the chair with the sketchbook in her lap, ready to start.

"Okay, go," Hayate said as she clapped her hands together.

I began to walk in Fate's direction, immediately locking onto her burgundy eyes. She looked up at me and a small smile formed on her lips, her eyes never leaving mine either.

"The last thing I need," I began reciting my lines, "is another picture of me looking like a porcelain doll." I then held the coin out in front of us. "As a paying customer, I expect to get what I want," I added, tossing the coin to Fate, who caught it mid-air.

I attempted to skip over the part of the scene where my character undressed, although I couldn't help but notice Fate begin to blush as her smile slowly faded, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. The notion of her thinking of me like that made me blush furiously in return.

"O-over on the couch," she stuttered, most likely not having to act out her nervousness at that point. I turned slowly and sat down on the couch at first, before I finally leaned back against one of the pillows near the armrest. As I shifted my position slightly, I could feel Fate's gaze upon me, and I unexpectedly felt a bit vulnerable. I looked up and saw a new look about her, one that seemed to be studying and memorizing every part of me, yet her eyes never left mine.

She began to give me small instructions to position my body in certain ways, finally coming up with a pose she was satisfied with. My vulnerable feeling was eventually replaced by one of submission, in which I placed my full trust in my partner.

"Keep your eyes on me," she instructed me gently. "And try to stay still," she added. She exhaled once, adjusted in her seat slightly, and then raised her pencil to the paper. The background music began to play as she placed her first stroke on the canvas.

The feeling of the two of us entering our own little world was suddenly upon me again. Fate paused momentarily in her drawing, and I sensed that she had just experienced the same sensation I had. She looked up and over the sketchbook in her lap as she searched my eyes in confirmation. I parted my lips slightly and was completely still for a moment, her gaze physically taking my breath away momentarily. She trailed her eyes down my face slightly, letting them linger on my lips for a moment before returning to the sketchbook.

As Fate continued to draw, her face took on a more serious tone, and her brush strokes seemed long and well-practiced. It left me with the impression that she was experienced with this method of drawing, and I was grateful to have been able to learn yet another bit of information of her in such a short time.

Fate would occasionally glance up at me to study certain curves of my body, or to memorize the way a few strands of hair rested against my face lightly. Her eyes met mine often when she looked up, letting them linger for an extra second on mine from time to time. Her bangs were resting gently across her forehead, and she would flick her head to the side or use her hand to push them away if she noticed them bothering her.

Fate's subtle nuances in her motions did not escape me, and I filed each and every one I witnessed in my memory carefully. The observations were no longer intended for the club as research, but for my own secret reference later.

My eyes shot open wide in realization after my last thought, and I felt my throat go dry. "_That must mean that I..._" I started to think to myself, but then immediately stopped. I looked up at Fate nervously, not willing to finish my thoughts in case she was now able to sense them as well.

Fate was instead staring down at the picture and smiling gently, having just finished it a few seconds prior to my panicked look. As I sat up on the couch, the connection we shared to our own little world felt like it had just shattered painfully all around us. The sensation jerked my body back, and I watched Fate's eyes grow wide as if she had felt the shock as well. She glanced up at me concerned, but was only met with my equally alarmed gaze.

Before we could do anything else, the four other group members began to gather around closer to Fate.

"That was so cool, Fate! You are such a good artist," Subaru said, pointing down at the picture.

"Have you been drawing for a long time?" Hayate asked, gently taking the picture from Fate to examine it closer.

Fate recovered quickly and nodded. "Yes, ever since I was a kid. It was something my biological mother and I used to do together, and I never stopped." I noticed a hint of sadness enter her voice towards the end of her statement.

Teana looked up at me. "You really ought to see this, Nanoha." I smiled and attempted to compose myself from the shock I had received a moment prior. I stood up and walked slowly to be behind Fate, with the other girls moving out of my way and making their way to now stand in front of Fate and I.

I let out a gasp as I saw the picture that Fate had drawn. The black and gray charcoal drawing drew a striking resemblance to me, and I couldn't help but notice the care that Fate had taken in all the shading. I knew it was a skill she must have spent many years perfecting.

Fate signed her name at the bottom with the year next to it, and blew on the paper gently to remove any excess shavings. She then closed the sketchbook and handed it up to me, and after I turned to face her. "Thank you, Fate-chan," I whispered, and before I could even realize what I was doing, my lips were pressed against her cheek in gratitude. Her eyes grew wide, and I pulled my head back quickly.

"Sorry, Fate-chan! I'm not sure why I..." I trailed off, touching my fingertips to my lips. Fate remained silent, still looking at the floor in shock. For the first time since I had met her, I was unable to sense what she was feeling.

The other girls gave each other knowing looks as they turned and walked away from the two of us, heading towards the other end of the room.

"I, um..." I began, but then paused, not wanting to let these unsettling feelings consume me at school in the middle of a club meeting. I took a deep breath and smiled. "So what's next, Teana?" I asked, grateful to have a temporary escape from the torrent of emotions that were now battling inside of me.

* * *

"Okay good, now try and hit the same mark you did before! You can do it!" Subaru called out to Teana, who was currently pulling a plastic toy ax away from the cabinet she had just slammed it up against.

Teana and Subaru were currently in the middle of their 'date', in which Teana's character had gone to retrieve an ax in attempt to save the other character, who was handcuffed to a giant water pipe as the ship was sinking. The ax was to be used to break the chain in the middle of the handcuffs, and Subaru had requested that Teana take a few practice swings, before attempting to break apart the handcuffs around her hands.

Teana, now wielding the ax over her head, nodded quickly to Subaru before taking aim. True to her character's actions, she completely missed the previous spot on the cabinet, hitting the ax on the complete opposite side of the door.

Although Subaru knew this was part of the scene, I could tell she wasn't entirely comfortable with the thought of an ax-toting Teana headed her way next.

"O-okay, that's enough practice," Subaru said, her voice hesitating as she started to adjust her toy handcuffs around the armrest of the couch, mimicking her character's actions. "Listen, just hit it really hard and really fast!"

Teana was eager to swing, but Subaru stopped her again before she could. "Wait, open your hands up a little more."

"Like that?" Teana said, adjusting her grip on the handle farther apart. Subaru nodded, still eyeing her partner cautiously.

"Listen... I trust you!" Subaru added in a plea, trying to find Teana's eyes with her own.

"Um-hmm," Teana said quickly before bringing the ax down to the couch. Subaru was curled up in pain the next second, having had the ax come down with a hard '_smack'_ against both wrists.

"Holy christ!" Ginga cried, a mixture of laughter and horror on her face for her sister's plight.

"Um... that wasn't exactly how that was supposed to go," Fate, the scene enforcer, spoke up timidly.

Teana nodded. "Sorry, that was my mistake. I guess we will have to try the scene again then," she said, looking up and twirling the ax in her hands.

Hayate came up behind Teana and removed the blunt instrument from her grasp. "Just... no," she finally said, shaking her head as she ended Teana and Subaru's 'date'.

* * *

"I love you," Ginga began, looking down affectionately at Hayate.

Hayate and Ginga had just started their 'date', which was the final scene between the two characters in the movie. Ginga was positioned on top of the conference table, and Hayate was on her knees next to it, her hand holding Ginga's as she looked up at her.

"Don't you do that," Hayate recited, her voice shaking as if she were freezing like her character in the movie. "Don't you say your goodbyes. Not yet, do you understand me?"

"I'm... so cold," Ginga replied in a meek voice, and Hayate had to bite her lips to keep from laughing.

"Look, you're gonna go on," Hayate continued, moving her face closer to Ginga's. "You're gonna make, lots of babies..." She paused again as Ginga nodded her head seriously on the word 'babies'. I could tell Hayate was having trouble keeping in character, and so she decided to skip a lot of the lines.

"You must do me this honor. That you will always hold on to hope. Promise me now, and that you will never let go of that promise."

"I promise," Ginga replied solemnly.

"Never let go," Hayate repeated.

"I'll never let go," Ginga confirmed in a whisper, and then placed her forehead against their intertwined hands and pretended to sleep. Hayate did the same, placing her forehead against the edge of the table.

They were silent for a while, before Ginga suddenly sprang her head up. "A boat? A boat! Hey, wake up, it's a boat!" she cried.

Hayate suddenly rose up to her feet. "Sorry no, I can't do this! I don't know why I can't, but I just can't," she said, clutching her stomach and laughing.

Ginga sat up on her knees on top of the table, crossing her arms over her chest. "I told you we should have done the car scene," she teased, smiling and poking Hayate on the cheek.

Hayate climbed onto the table next to Ginga, and then laid down on her back. "Hey Ginga, come lay down next to me," she instructed.

Ginga turned around and sat next to Hayate, and then laid down beside her. Hayate lifted up her head to assess the situation. "Yep, just as I thought. He could have gotten on the door with her. He didn't have to die."

"Hold on there, Hayate," Teana interrupted. "We couldn't make that determination without exact measurements of the door in the movie first, and then comparing them to the total surface area of the table here."

"Plus," Subaru added, "you would have to see if he could have climbed on without her falling off instead, almost like a canoe tipping back and forth."

I began to trail off as my fellow club members heatedly discussed the variables of the scene, while I thought about the group's plans for the next day. Tomorrow was Saturday, the beginning of our weekend, and the club was coming over to my house at noon to discuss the results of the reenactments. I began to wonder if I should tell the group of the experiences I had felt with Fate during our 'dates'. I decided it would be best to discuss it with her alone first, if possible.

I noticed Fate was over by the television, beginning to power down the DVD player. "Fate-chan?" I called from behind her.

She spun around when she heard my voice. "Nanoha!" she replied, an instant smile forming on her lips.

"Say, Fate-chan, do you think you could come by my place tomorrow morning before everyone else? I was hoping we could talk alone before the meeting. Unless you are busy, of course," I added quickly.

"No, I'm not busy." Fate looked up and thought for a moment. "How about eleven then?

I agreed, and proceeded to give her directions to Midoriya, the cafe my parents owned below the house my family lived in. I was going to be working the front counter tomorrow morning, since my father and siblings would be training at the dojo, and my mother would need the assistance. I was also needed there this evening for the dinner rush and, noticing the time, I began to quickly retrieve my belongings. I made my way to the door, apologizing to everyone for leaving so suddenly, and telling them I would see them all tomorrow.

After giving Fate one last goodbye and a wave from the doorway, I made my way down the stairs and out the front door into the courtyard. I began to jog a little, recalling the details surrounding the two 'dates' she and I had. I hadn't paid much attention to the first experience when it felt like she and I had suddenly been placed in our own universe, almost as if an invisible barrier had been erected between us and the outside world. After the second time it occurred though, I knew it was not just a fluke.

What was more alarming was the way it felt when the 'barrier' was suddenly released. It was painful, as if my heart had suddenly been placed in a vice and squeezed hard. The sensation lasted only a second, but it was forceful enough to take my breath away. I was convinced that Fate had felt it too, and I was determined to discover what exactly had happened in those situations.

It would require one more reenactment though, just the two of us. As I ran the rest of the way home, I finalized the details of the 'date' I would be having with Fate tomorrow morning.

* * *

_~Day 4: Project Iceberg~_

**Nanoha POV**

"Welcome to Midoriya!" I heard my mother's voice call from behind the counter. I was in the kitchen of the cafe, preparing items to switch in the front case between breakfast and lunch. I grabbed the tray and passed through the door separating the two sections, careful not to bump my hands in the doorway.

"Fate-chan!" I called out, seeing that she had just walked into the cafe. I set the tray down on the shelf behind the counter and walked around to greet her with a hug.

After I pulled back from our embrace I turned around, grabbing Fate's left hand in mine. "Mom, this is Fate. Fate-chan, this is my mother, Momoko."

"It's nice to meet you," Fate stepped forward, shaking my mother's hand.

"You, too, Fate," she replied sweetly, and then paused. "My, aren't you a pretty little thing?"

I watched as Fate's eyes opened a little wide and a blush appeared. "Um, thank you, Momoko-san," she said, looking towards the floor.

"Her eyes are really beautiful too, huh Mom?" I added, looking up at my mother and giving her a wink. Fate's face grew even redder as she continued to look down and say nothing. After a pause, my mother was the first to help end Fate's suffering.

"Nanoha, I think I can handle things here until your brother and sister get back in a few minutes," she said, "You two go upstairs and enjoy your day off from school."

I squeezed Fate's hand that I was still holding, and started leading her to the door to enter the kitchen. "Come on, let's go Fate-chan! Oh, and Mom," I added, pausing in the doorway, "can you just send my friends up when they get here?"

My mother agreed, and I led Fate through the kitchen to the door that lead to our house above. We silently climbed, finally entering into the small hallway that led to the front door of the house. We entered, and I guided her to the living room, where we sat down on the couch side-by-side.

"I'm glad you could come over, Fate-chan," I began after we had sat.

"I was happy to, Nanoha," she replied warmly, squeezing my hand a little in response.

I let a pause fall between us as I tried to figure out how to approach the next subject. "Say, Fate-chan... did you, um, feel it too? During the the 'dates', I mean?"

Fate looked down to our intertwined hands and nodded. "Yes, I did," she responded. "Although it's hard to explain what it was exactly that happened. It's like it became just the two of us. And... it felt like I wasn't in complete control of my body sometimes."

I let out a sigh, glad that she had also felt what I had during those moments. Silently, I stood up from the couch and walked to the television. Kneeling down, I pulled out one of the cabinets in the entertainment center that housed my family's DVD collection and located the title I wanted. Quickly standing up, I began to turn on the player.

"Fate-chan," I called over my shoulder as I placed the disc on the tray and pushed it in. "I want to try another reenactment, if that's okay? There is something I want to test out."

Fate nodded in agreement. "Sure. What scene would you like to do?"

I turned the cover of the DVD to face her. "I want us to reenact the Ikea scene from _500 Days of Summer_."

"Oh, okay!" Fate replied with a smile. I watched her look up, replaying the scene in head. After a few seconds, I saw her smile fade, and she looked at me in shock as she recalled the last part of it.

"Nyahaha, don't worry Fate-chan, I don't think we will get that far in the scene," I tried to reassure her. "You just rewatch that part while I get a few things into place, okay?"

Fate picked up the remote from the coffee table and studied the buttons for few seconds before hitting the play button. I headed towards the kitchen to set up the necessary props in there, listening to the dialogue in the background carefully after she had located the scene in question.

I then proceeded to walk down the hallway towards my bedroom, removing my cell phone from my pocket once I was inside. I unlocked the front screen, and pushed the icon for my alarm clock. I set the the alarm to ring in five minutes from the current time, and then placed it on the headboard of my bed.

I quickly walked back into the living room towards Fate and held out my hand. "Are you ready?" I asked her with a smile. She took her hand in mine and we walked to the kitchen. She sat down at the head of the table and I took my mark near the oven, and we immediately began our 'date'.

"Yum, smells delicious!" she recited, grabbing the fork and knife from the table into each hand.

"Oh honey, that's because it is _deliciousssss_," I sang sweetly, opening the oven door and pretending to take something out before closing it again. I made the motion of placing a dish in front of Fate. "I made it myself," I added.

"Bald eagle," she stated in appreciation, smiling as she looked up at me.

I crossed behind her to stand by her on the other side. "You're favorite!" Fate twirled her fork in the air and then pretended to start cutting into her imaginary dish, while I began walking towards the sink.

I felt her watch me from behind as I pretended to turn the sink handles on and off. I turned back to her and placed both hand on my hips. "The sink's broken," I said to her with a pout.

Fate laughed, and then exited her chair and walked through the doorway that lead to the laundry area from the kitchen. "Well that's okay because..." she began, reciting her character's line. "We bought a home with two kitchens," she finished, gesturing to the washer and dryer in front of her.

I laughed and ran to her, grabbing her by the elbows. "You're so... smart..." I trailed off slowly, my face now close to hers, looking intently into her eyes. The sensation that had now become so familiar suddenly washed over the two of us again. I felt my entire being become lost and absorbed in Fate's eyes, as she searched mine in return.

"_That must be the trigger, her eyes..._" I managed to gather in the haze that had enveloped my thought process. She slowly shifted her body closer to mine, her breath dancing lightly on my cheek.

"Race you to the bedroom," I said softly, a small grin forming on my lips. I pulled away from her and ran out of the laundry room, back into the kitchen. Fate followed me out a second later and trapped me between herself and the kitchen counter. I screamed playfully as she caught up to me, and I quickly ducked under her arm and ran out of the kitchen, gripping the side of the doorway to turn my direction as I exited.

I ran down the hallway as I felt Fate closing in on me, so I made a sharp left back into the living room at the other entrance. I climbed over the couch and positioned it between me and her, trying to anticipate her next move. She was laughing, moving from side to side to head off my attempts at escape. She took me by surprise as she unexpectedly climbed over it to get me. She narrowly missed me, and I scurried across the top of loveseat to the left of the couch in escape.

After I made it across and jumped off, I headed back out the entrance of the living room and into the hallway. I made a direct path to my bedroom door, pushing it open roughly as I entered. I ran over to my bed and jumped on it sideways, then repositioned myself to lay on my back.

Fate was not far behind me and as I was settling in, I felt her join me on the bed as well. I looked down and watched as Fate leaned herself on her knee next to my legs, and then began to crawl up on the bed above me. She had one hand on either side of my body as she hovered over me, eventually coming to rest her body against the side of mine. The pace of my breathing accelerated as she wrapped her arm around my waist, her face drawing closer to mine.

"Nanoha..." she said softly, glancing between my lips and my eyes. I gripped the sleeve of her sweater tightly in my hand, drawing her into me even closer.

"Fate...chan..." I breathed, our lips nearly touching, her warm breath now mingling with mine.

My eyes suddenly flew open in panicked realization. "Oh god, Fate-chan, wa - !" I tried to warn her, but it was too late.

_'Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep!' _rang out loudly from my headboard, as the alarm clock had finally reached five minutes. My head flew back with the sudden interruption, the gripping pain in my chest causing my vision to go white for a few seconds as I felt the breath leave my body.

As soon as I regained my vision, I witnessed Fate leaning above me on one elbow, her hand clutching her chest. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and it appeared she was holding her breath as well. Eventually the pain seem to pass for her too, and she opened her eyes to look at me. Seeing that I was okay, she leaned herself back against the pillow on my bed.

"Fate-chan," I called after a moment, my breath still slightly elevated. "What is going on here?" I asked her.

"I don't know," came her soft reply. "I mean, I'm starting to get an idea maybe, but I'm not sure."

I raised up on my elbows to look over at her. "What is it? What do you think?"

She sat up completely on my bed, and then turned her body to rest her back against the wall. "It's hard to explain. It's almost like something is guiding us together. Some force outside of us, maybe."

I nodded my head, agreeing that it could be a possibility. "I wouldn't believe in that sort of thing usually. Well, if I weren't actually experiencing it myself, that is."

"Do you remember that first day we saw each other, when you were in your classroom?" she asked me. I confirmed that I did. "I was there with my mom, and we were visiting with my new teacher before I started school the following week. After the meeting we left the classroom, but instead of turning down the hallway to leave, I ended up turning the opposite way. I went straight to your classroom door and opened it before I even realized what I was doing."

I laid back down on the bed, trying to absorb everything I had just been told as I began putting the pieces together - - the ruby orb falling from her pendant and then given to me serendipitously afterward, sensing each others presence before seeing each other, and the seemingly other world we entered into as our eyes connected.

"So what do we do now, I wonder?" Fate mused after a moment, breaking into my thoughts. She had the length of the sleeve of her sweater cupped over her hand near her mouth, with her thumb and index finger absently pinching at her bottom lip as she thought.

"Fate-chan," I called softly to her, and then sat up and joined her against the wall. "I don't want to sound like I'm upset about what has happened, because I am truly grateful that I met you. I-I can't even imagine what my life would be like now without you in it..."

I grabbed her hand gently, and she looked up at me. "But I don't think this is something we should be allowing to happen out of our control. If I'm going to want to be with someone romantically, I want it to be because I chose for it to happen. Not because something outside of me is forcing me to."

Fate nodded her head, smiling at me. "That makes sense, Nanoha. I feel the same way too. Although, all of this seems a little mixed up together. I can't really tell what is the outside force, and what is actually our own decisions. I'm not really sure how we go from here."

"Well, for one thing," I began, "we should probably avoid as much eye contact as possible. That seems to start a lot of this. I doubt we will be able to control every aspect, but we can at least try to not get too wrapped up in the moment like before." I paused, then smiled. "Besides, it really, really hurts when we are interrupted."

"Yeah," Fate agreed slowly, laughing a bit. "When Hayate yelled 'cut' during that first scene we did, I almost fainted from the pain, too."

"Ah, I see..." I responded. "I didn't even hear her, so I must have passed out right as she said it. Maybe the feeling of it ending was too intense for me the first time?"

"And the reenactments?" she questioned tentatively.

"I think we should try to do them normally, without allowing ourselves to get carried away. What do you think?"

Fate nodded. "Okay, let's try that. I really like being in the club, and being your partner, Nanoha."

I grabbed Fate by the arm and hugged her. "Me, too, Fate-chan! Besides, Hayate would be pissed if she found out we had been 'cheating' on our dates this whole time."

"I guess we will just have to win fair and square then, huh?" Fate replied, a new glint in her eye appearing.

"Yep!" I confirmed, and then starting pulling Fate off the bed. "Speaking of Hayate, let's go get the stuff ready. Everyone should be here any minute."

And with that, Fate and I exited my bedroom, ready to approach 'dating' in a brand new light.

* * *

**A/N:** If you are worried that this was somehow an end to the story - - the answer is no, absolutely not. We still have a long way to go with this one. But I really do have to go and finish my assignment for school now, so until next time! =^..^= ~Nissanity~


	5. Chapter 5 - Flesh and Blood

**A/N: **Quick thanks for all the new follows and reviews! I know I keep saying I'll update the other story first, but I keep coming back to this one everyday. And I wouldn't want to put out a bad chapter on Idol Project just for the sake of putting one out, you know? So hopefully you are all enjoying this one well enough!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 5 – ****__****Flesh and Blood**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

"Alright everyone, the time has come," Hayate announced ominously to the group. "We knew this day would be upon us at some point, and now it... has... arrived."

I glanced at Fate nervously. "Hayate, we've only been an official club for a couple weeks, what could possibly - "

"A day so terrifying!" she continued, ignoring my objection. "We must put a disclaimer on any and all reenactments or scenes that might occur during this week, that anything seen in this room could be damaging to - "

"_Twilight!_ We're doing _Twilight!_" Ginga interrupted ecstatically, waving her hands in the air and grinning at us.

Silence fell over the group for a moment, followed immediately after by loud groans and expletives from Teana and Subaru. I glanced over at Fate during their outburst, who was staring at the floor with her eyes wide open and an unreadable expression on her face.

"Fate-chan, are you okay? What is it?" I asked quickly. She paused for a moment, and then closed her eyes. I reached over and held her hand in support.

"I... I _really_ like Twilight, Nanoha," she finally confessed in a whisper to me.

I turned my head away from her immediately, and placed my hand over my mouth to stifle the laughter that was trying to escape from it.

Ginga somehow heard her whisper clear across the room and ran over to Fate, about to crash into her with a hug. "It's _Twilight_, FATEEE!" she screamed, but Hayate grabbed her by the collar before she could reach her.

"Oh my GOD, Ginga!" Hayate yelled, pulling her back across the room.

"I have a question," Teana began. "You said the whole week, are we going to try to reenact one movie over the span of five days?" She then frowned, probably trying to figure out how many scenes she would have to select per day.

"There's five movies total, Teana. It's a saga!" Ginga informed her.

Teana's eyes flew open. "There's five of them?!" She looked to Hayate for clarification on the situation.

"Yes, but we are only going to do reenactments from the first one," Hayate replied, half looking over at her partner. "But we will be watching the other four this week after the 'dates' conclude, for reference." Ginga frowned with the concession, but nodded her head in agreement.

Subaru raised her hand. "I hate to say this, Hayate, but I have trouble seeing you as the brooding vampire type."

"That is correct, Subaru," Hayate agreed. "Ginga and I already talked about this, and she had an idea to change things up this week. Ginga, would you care to explain?"

Ginga came forward, grinning. "Since I love _Twilight_ so much, I've already asked Hayate not to ruin it for me by trying to be Edward."

"Hey!" Hayate said from behind her.

"So," she continued unabashed, "I asked her if I could help her direct this week. And that we only focus on one pairing to reenact the scenes."

My head flew up first to Subaru and Teana, who looked alarmed as well that they may be the pairing selected. It wasn't long before their faces relaxed and they were smiling, slowly turning their heads to me and Fate on the loveseat. I felt Fate's hand grip harder in mine.

"Nanohaaaaa..." she begged me quietly.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud at her reaction this time. "I think that's a yes," I announced for both of us.

Ginga grabbed her backpack from behind the couch and pulled out the first movie, and I couldn't help but notice she also had the four sequels in the bag as well. I had to give her credit for her dedication, at least.

I leaned over to Fate, who looked eager for the movie to begin. "Just so I'm sure before the movie starts, you want to play Edward, correct? And I'm Bella?" I asked her quietly.

She nodded. "If that's okay with you, Nanoha?" she responded.

"Yep," I confirmed. "I think it makes more sense that way." I then turned my body on the loveseat to be in the same position I was in last week, when we had watched Titanic. I made motions for her to lean back against me as she smiled, and before long her head was resting comfortably against my chest like before.

"You two must be going for extra credit," I heard Hayate say beside me. She was situated on the larger couch between Teana and Subaru, and Ginga was sitting by herself in the single armchair, fumbling with the remotes.

"You guys aren't treating this as a movie date?" I asked the four of them.

Hayate pointed over at Ginga. "I would normally, but not for _Twilight._" We all witnessed Ginga suddenly bounce up and down in the seat excitedly as the opening menu came on the screen.

"Ah, good call, Hayate," I responded.

"So yeah, you and Fate don't have to act like it's a movie date. Unless want to, of course," Teana quickly added with a small grin on her face.

I looked down at Fate, who looked up at me and smiled. "I think we're good," I replied, before we turned our full attention back to the movie.

* * *

_~~Day 1: Project Fang ~~_

**Nanoha POV**

"Hey Fate, have you ever worn contacts before?" Subaru asked.

Fate looked down at the lens case that Subaru had set before her on the conference table. She shook her head no. "Are they hard to put in?" Fate asked, looking a little concerned.

"I don't think so," Subaru replied. "I got these from the drama club in exchange for a few props, and they told me how to put them in. They are disposable by the way, so you can just throw them away after this week."

Fate slowly unscrewed the lens caps and studied the contacts. We were all curious about them as well, so the group leaned over her shoulder to look. The lenses were colored the same red as her eyes, but they had been modified to look a little eerie, similar to a vampire's eyes I would imagine.

It took a few minutes for Fate to put them in her eyes properly. Once they were in, she blinked a few times, and then looked at me. "What do you think, Nanoha?" she asked. I stared at her eyes for a while, amazed at how the contacts could actually make her look like a vampire.

"Wow, Fate-chan! I can't belie... " I began, but trailed off when I realized I was able to look directly into her eyes with the contacts in, without the dangerous sensation overtaking us.

Fate realized it a second after I did and gasped. "Nanoha!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement as she stood up from the chair to face me.

I stepped back a little, and swallowed hard to keep tears from forming as I looked into her eyes wildly. I was then hugging her tightly around the waist in the next second. "I can't believe it!" I cried into her chest.

"O-Okayyyy...?" Subaru's uncomfortable voice came from behind us.

I pulled back from Fate right away, realizing that our outburst wouldn't have made any sense to everyone around us.

Hayate, observant of nuanced behavior as ever, gestured between the two of us. "What was that? That invisible thing you two just did?"

I looked off to the side. "Psssh, it was nothin', man! It was nothin'..." I replied and then cringed, knowing I had just admitted guilt with my out of character response.

"You've been cheating!" Hayate playfully yelled while pointing at me. "I knew it! There is no way you could have been that good at the reenactments without something else going on. Come on, out with it."

I looked at Fate, who looked at me and shrugged helplessly in response. I sighed, and then took a deep breath.

"There is an outside force that is manipulating Fate and me and it makes us feel and do things that are out of our control and it's especially bad when we look into each others eyes because we become trapped in another dimension but apparently not now because she has contacts in," I replied, my voice squeaking at the end as I ran out of breath.

A silence fell over the room. "Hmm, that makes perfect sense," Ginga finally said while nodding her head.

"It does?!" Fate and I responded simultaneously, stunned.

Teana broke in. "No! Of course that doesn't make any sense! How could it?!" she yelled.

"Okay, time out!" Hayate said loudly. "Let's just head on over to the common area and discuss what's going on between these two here, rationally," she said, grabbing Fate and I by the shoulders and leading us over to the loveseat.

The group gathered around us, listening intently as Fate and I told them everything from the beginning, which took about an hour. Some details they already knew, like the ruby gem falling from Fate's pendant. Most things they were not aware of though, like what would happen if she and I stared into each others eyes for too long, and the painful consequences of being interrupted when we got too carried away. No one seemed to doubt that we were telling the truth, since all the factors put together really could not be passed off as mere coincidence.

"It's funny," Ginga began, "I would have thought this sort of mysterious intervention would have been romantic. But it actually sounds problematic, honestly."

"I guess I'm curious why you don't just go with it?" Teana commented. "You don't have to answer if it is too personal, but I'm not so sure if it's such a bad thing, really."

I looked over at Fate, who glanced over at me nervously before looking away.

"I didn't earn it_,_" I said quietly to myself, and then looked away as well.

"Come again?" Ginga asked me with a gentle smile, although I think she did hear my comment with her uncanny sense of hearing today.

"I said that, I didn't earn it," I repeated a bit louder for everyone else to hear. "Fate-chan is such an amazing person. The best person, really. A-And it's not fair that she is forced to be with someone outside of her control. She deserves better than that."

Ginga put her hand over her mouth and gasped, and then turned and hit Hayate on the arm unexpectedly. "Learn to say romantic stuff like that too, Hayate!"

"Come on, they have divine intervention or something going for them!" Hayate cried out. "I've never dated before, pretend or real!"

"Anyway," Teana said with a slight growl at them, before turning back to me and Fate. "I guess you just have to ask yourself if you actually _want_ to be in love with each other or not."

"Whoa..." Subaru said, her mind apparently blown.

"Yep!" Hayate added. "Right now you two are in love by chance. Now you have to decide if you want to be in love by choice."

Ginga now beamed at Hayate's comment and threw her arms around her. "I knew you had some romantic part of you somewhere in there!"

I was no longer paying attention to the others, as I was instead staring blankly at Fate. She was looking at me the same way, and I could not sense her emotional state in any way, which was something that had only happened once before. It seemed to occur when she was taken completely by surprise by something, like when I kissed her on the cheek out of the blue during one of our 'dates'.

"Oh hey, guys," Hayate gently called to us, getting our attention. "No big life-changing decisions are necessary right now, okay? Let's just come back tomorrow and have some fun with _Twilight_, okay?"

I looked up at the time. "Oh, crap! I have to be at the cafe in ten minutes to start my shift. I completely forgot!" I started gathering my things quickly. "I'm sorry guys! I'll see everyone tomorrow."

I paused in the doorway before I left, turning to find Fate's eyes for a just few seconds longer and then mouthing 'bye' to her, before I was out the door and headed home with a smile.

* * *

"Mom... how can you tell if you _want_ to be in love with someone or not?" I asked, kneeling behind the front glass counter of the cafe, restocking items.

My mother glanced over at me with a puzzled look. "Do you mean, how can you tell if you _are_ in love with someone or not?"

I shook my head, standing back up. "No, that's not really the issue."

My mother gave a small smile as she tried to decipher my words. "You can't really control who you fall in love with, Nanoha," she gently advised me.

I laughed a little at the irony in her response. "Yeah, tell me about it," I muttered under my breath.

"Nanoha, I won't push you to tell me what's going on if you aren't ready to," my mother continued, wiping the dry erase board in the front of the cafe. "But the most important thing to remember is, you need to be completely sure of your decision before you take any action, understood?"

"So that I don't make a mistake and end up hurting someone I care about, right?" I concluded.

"_Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart,_" my mother quoted with a smile before she walked though the pass-through door, leaving me alone to my own thoughts.

"All my heart, hmm...?" I mused as I turned the sign to 'closed' on the cafe door.

* * *

_~~Restart Day 1: Project Fang~~_

"Okay, Nanoha, the first scene we are going to recreate is the one where Edward saves Bella from the van hitting her in the parking lot," Teana announced, making a check mark on her list.

"Well... this should be interesting," I replied slowly, looking over at the stage manager across the room. Subaru had cut the top and bottom flaps off of a large cardboard box, as well as made two armholes in the sides, so that she could wear the box on her body to replicate a moving vehicle. I allowed another black dry-erase maker to be sacrificed so that Hayate could draw crude headlights and a grill on the front.

"Fate, you are going to be standing across the room here," Ginga instructed, pointing near the doorway. "You will need to time your entrance with Subaru's so that you can save Nanoha in time. Nanoha, you are going to be near the television with your back to Fate in the beginning. Hayate is going to replay the scene, and then you guys can take your marks."

Hayate stared dumbfounded at Ginga as she walked past her to pickup the remote. "You're really good at this directing thing," she told Ginga mid-stride.

Ginga beamed. "Thank you, Hayate! You certainly are earning some brownie points today." Hayate blushed a little but didn't say anything, unsure how to respond to that last comment.

We all watched the scene replay on the television, and then Fate and I took our marks.

"Action!" Ginga cried out excitedly.

I had by back to Fate, who was now standing across the room, and I could immediately feel her gaze upon me. I looked behind me and observed that she was watching my movements carefully, as if memorizing every one. Even though we were in the middle of a 'date', I knew she wasn't merely acting at the moment. It was similar to the way she looked at me when she drew me the week before. Fate had a way of studying every part of me without her eyes ever leaving mine, even from across the room.

I turned back around to the entertainment center, not because the character in the movie had done so but because I needed to for myself. I was unsure how best to deal with this intensity, as I had never experienced anyone seeing 'through' me before. I didn't have much time to think about it though, as Subaru was already running straight towards me, ready to crash into me as I began to turn around.

Fate pushed me down against the entertainment center as she put herself between me and Subaru's impending collision. In any other situation this may have seemed silly, but I was too engrossed in Fate's movements and actions to notice. She had one arm wrapped around my waist as she was looking up at Subaru's figure, with one hand still resting on the cardboard above us.

She paused before she turned and looked at me, and I was finally able to look into her eyes this closely without any fear of repercussion. I was seeing them with complete control of my mind and body for the first time since I had met her, and I was entranced by their depths. She was searching my eyes as well, only a few inches separating us, and we completely forgot that we were in the middle of a reenactment for a moment. I soon found myself glancing quickly between her eyes and her lips, not sure which one warranted more of my focus.

"Fate, stand up..." Ginga finally whispered. This seemed to snap Fate out of her daze as she let go of me and stood up, jumping over the couch and out of the scene.

"Cut!" Ginga cried out, and then quickly ran over and hugged me. "Great job, Nanoha! Fate, you too! That's was super intense."

I let out the breath I had been holding. "Yeah. Yeah, no kidding," I agreed.

"You guys didn't just 'cheat' there, did you?" Hayate asked, pointing a remote control accusingly in my direction.

I shook my head and smiled. "Nyahaha, nope. If that were the case, I'd probably be dead by now after that 'date'."

* * *

Teana looked down at her clipboard for a moment, and then nodded. "Yep, okay. Next scene is the one where Edward and Bella are having dinner, after he saved her from a group of attackers."

Ginga clapped her hands. "Excellent! Nanoha, Fate," she started, turning to face us on the loveseat. "In this reenactment, we are going to approach things a bit differently. Fate, as you know, in this scene your character is saying things that are pretty much the exact opposite of what you and Nanoha are going through."

Fate nodded her head. "I can see that," she agreed.

"So what I'm thinking," Ginga continued, "is that you two ad-lib the lines to fit to the situation you are in. I think you will get a more powerful response in the scene if you are actually speaking from your own experience."

Hayate threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Damnit, Ginga!" she cried, alluding to her partner's newly discovered directing talents.

Ginga patted Hayate on the head. "Don't stress out, Hayate. I'm sure you are going to have a lot of interesting behavior to dissect after this 'date'."

This seemed to appease Hayate, who then hit the play button to start the scene on the television. We watched it a few times to make sure we had an idea of how to modify the dialogue. While we were doing that, Subaru and Teana were busy setting up props on the table behind us.

Fate and I sat down at the table, while Ginga and Hayate stood before us. Ginga paused, and then looked at Hayate and motioned with her hand towards the scene. Hayate was confused at first, but then her face lit up.

"Action!" she said, before facing back to Ginga and grinning at her.

"...and then, I felt what you felt," Fate ad-libbed, starting our 'date'.

I paused."Wait, you said you felt what I was feeling?" I asked her. She nodded her head in confirmation. "So what, you can read everyone's feelings then?" I asked, looking around the room as my character had.

"I've never felt... what anyone else has felt before," she replied, looking down at the table. She then glanced up at my eyes. "Apart from you," she told me. I paused, not sure what to say in return.

"With you, I feel... everything," she continued after a moment, giving a slight wave of her hand. "It's very... frustrating," she added, bringing her hands to her knees to clenching at her jeans a bit. My eyes met hers, and they seemed almost in a state of chaos with her last statement. I understood the frustration all too well, having also lived though this since the first moment I saw her.

Fate looked down at the table again, and I noticed real tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. Her breathing also started to accelerate a little, as she started becoming lost in her own thoughts.

"What is it?" I asked her, about to cry myself, knowing exactly what she was feeling at the moment.

"I don't... I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore... Nanoha," she replied, my name being said in a whisper at the end. She was beginning to cry openly now, and she placed her elbows on the table and pressed her clasped fists against her forehead, tears falling freely.

I felt the breath leave my body as my name reverberated in my ears, confirming that Fate meant every word she had just said for me. I hadn't noticed the other group members leave the room, until I heard the soft click of the clubroom door behind me.

I swallowed a few times to try to be able to speak, to say anything at that point. Without warning, Fate rose from the table and turned her back to me, coming to stand in the middle of the room while she cried silently. She was attempting to wipe away her tears when she felt me come to stand behind her.

"So, don't," I stated across the room to her.

She turned around quickly to face me. "What?"

"You said... you don't have the strength to stay away from me," I repeated. Fate lowered her hands from her face slowly as I began to walk towards her. "So...don't."

I moved to stand in front of her, first staring at her lips, before eventually trailing my eyes up to look into hers. She shifted her position to be slightly above mine, and she gently placed her hands so that they were no more than an inch from my face, almost as if she might break our moment if she were to actually touch me. The pad of her thumb grazed my lips just slightly, before she then cupped my face and pulled me towards hers.

"...Nanoha..." she breathed out my name just before her lips met mine. Our kiss was slow and deliberate at first, the two of us cherishing the moment in which we had become one under our own decision and control. Fate eventually pulled away from the kiss to look at me, perhaps confirming that I was still in front of her, and what had just occurred was indeed real.

We were moving against each other slowly, her lips only inches from mine, both waiting to see who would resign first this time. I put my hand above the back of her neck, entwining it in her hair as I pulled her face to mine, our lips rejoining and our kiss deepening. I felt Fate's lips part as she pulled my bottom lip in between hers and gently ran the tip of her tongue across it. I opened my mouth in return and took in a breath of air, as her gesture had caused a new need to form inside of me - - one that required more of Fate's taste to satisfy it.

I grabbed Fate by the arm with my other hand and pulled her even closer to me, our kiss escalating the hungrier we became for each others' touch. Our mouths opened together, our tongues now having met in the middle and gliding against each other, before I finally submitted to her and let her overtake me. I grabbed frantically at her sweater, just to get her as close to me as I could.

We began to walk backwards as we kissed, until the back of my legs hit the couch behind me. I leaned back against it with Fate still completely over me, repositioning her leg to rest between mine. She moved her mouth away from mine and began to kiss my neck, her tongue grazing slightly over a spot before kissing it. I wrapped my arms around her to keep her head pressed to me, her waist beginning to push harder into mine. My breathing was shallow and rapid as she bit my earlobe, and then trailed her tongue lightly across the edge of my ear.

"We should probably stop," I said softly, breathing hard, worried I wouldn't be able to if this went on much longer. I felt her nod her head in agreement as she then kissed my collarbone, before gently nibbling and sucking on it. I giggled and bit my bottom lip as I moved my hands to her head, pulling her back to look at me. She smiled when our eyes met.

"We will continue this after the meeting, okay?" I promised her, catching my breath. I pulled her down to share one last, slow kiss together before I pushed her back gently and stood up. "Tonight at my house, Fate-chan. Don't forget."

* * *

"Somehow, this seems like a really, really bad idea," I mentioned, very concerned with what I was witnessing in front of me.

Subaru had a medium-sized paintbrush in one hand and an open bottle of white school glue in the other. She was currently painting the glue onto Fate's forearms, with Teana posed and ready to blow glitter on the wet liquid.

Hayate and Ginga, who had left the room to go get something to drink, had just come back into the clubroom. Once they noticed the scene in front of them, they both stopped dead in their tracks.

"Brilliant!" Ginga cried.

"The horror..." Hayate said quietly at the same time.

I picked up the remote to the DVD player and started searching for the scene we would be reenacting next, figuring the glue would take a while to dry. It was the scene in which Edward tells Bella he is a vampire in the forest. I actually liked that scene quite a bit, with the way the two characters were positioned around the screen.

Hayate, Ginga, and I were moving the furniture around the room so that we could recreate the scene. "So, things go okay with Fate?" Ginga asked me quietly when Hayate walked across the room.

I smiled, feeling my face become a little warm as I thought back to our kiss half an hour prior. "Yeah, it did," I replied genuinely.

"So what do you think is going to happen now?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Honestly, I'm a little nervous," I replied, my face falling a little.

"With Fate?" she said surprised, and then we both looked over in her direction just in time to see Teana try to blow glitter across Fate's arm, only to have the cloud travel past it and hit Subaru in the face.

"No, with the other issue," I responded. "We still haven't figured out how to handle it. I mean, weird contacts are fine if it means we can stop what happens, but I don't know. It just doesn't seem that simple."

Ginga nodded. "I can understand that. Well, we will be here to help you two in any way we can, okay?"

"We're done!" Subaru called from behind us. I turned and saw Fate smiling, with clumps of glitter stuck here and there across her arms and neck. I was grateful they stayed away from her face.

"Do I look like a vampire?" she asked me jokingly from across the room.

"Yep! It's totally uncanny, the resemblance," I responded, shaking my head playfully as if to say that I couldn't tell the difference.

"Okay! I'm taking over directing on this scene, per Ginga's request," Hayate announced. "Fate, you are going to be crouched on the back of the couch in the beginning. Nanoha, you will be kneeling under her, looking up. Afterward Fate, you are going to cross the room, and come to be near the wall by the entertainment center."

"Sounds good," she responded. She made her way across the room to the couch and assumed her position. I did as well, looking up at her with a smile. There was something incredibly sexy about her position above me like that.

"And go," Hayate said, starting our 'date'.

"Why did you hate me so much when we met?" I asked, reciting my first line. Even though it was a reenactment, the thought of Fate feeling like that towards me actually caused a twinge of pain in my chest.

"I did," she confirmed, moving herself closer to me. "But only because you made me want you so badly."

She paused, both of us taking in her last sentence, knowing it once again mirrored the truth between the two of us. "I still don't know if I can control myself," she added.

I stood up slowly while she leaned back, with both of us now facing each other, our faces close. We couldn't say anything else though, as suddenly an ominous feeling washed over us. It was completely different this time, unlike any of the sensations we had ever felt together before.

Fate quickly jumped off the couch in a panic and ran across the room, and all we could do was stand there and wait for our reality to shift all around us.

"What just happened?" I heard Teana ask faintly in the background, as everything but Fate became a black haze to me.

"I don't know," Hayate responded, her voice more distant. "Should we stop them?" I heard her concerned voice ask before she faded away.

Fate turned to face me. "I think we've made it angry..." she warned me.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I've already started on the next chapter, so I'll be updating soon! Until then ~Nissanity~


	6. Chapter 6 - When It Rains

**A/N: **I tried to get this update out quickly, since that was a pretty nasty cliffhanger I left on the last chapter lol

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 6 – ****__****When It Rains**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

Fate turned to face me. "I think we've made it angry," she warned me.

I looked down at my hands, turning them over a few times. "How can we control our bodies right now? This feels so different than the other times," I asked her.

"I'm not sure, Nanoha. But I don't think this is good," she replied. She looked around nervously, as the weight of the darkness began closing in around us.

I started to panic as well, so I quickly ran across the room to her, attempting to throw my arms around her neck to embrace her. "Fate-ch - "

The second my arms touched Fate's shoulders my body seized in pain, and the same sensation I experienced when our 'barrier' was broken was upon me again. My vision went white, with every nerve in my body feeling like thousands of volts of electricity were searing across them.

I felt my body being forcible thrown away from her and across the room. As soon as I crashed into the floor, the other world disappeared and I was back in the clubroom, staring up at the ceiling.

"Nanoha! Fate!" everyone screamed at us. Within a second, Hayate and Ginga were in my line of vision.

"Christ, Nanoha, are you okay?!" Hayate asked, her eyes stricken with worry.

I put my hand to my forehead slowly. "Yeah, I think so..." I sat straight up. "Fate! Where's Fate, is she okay?!"

"I'm okay, Nanoha," I heard her reply from across the room, with Teana and Subaru picking her from behind the couch.

I groaned. "What did you guys see?" I asked Hayate and Ginga, trying to stand up as well.

"You said something about controlling your bodies, and Fate said that it didn't look good," Ginga replied, pulling a dust bunny from my hair. "And then you ran to hug her, Nanoha, and all of a sudden you were flying across the room and Fate was thrown over the couch."

"Your hang time was pretty impressive, Fate," Subaru added, patting her on the shoulder.

"No flashes of light or anything?" I continued.

Hayate shook her head. "It almost looked like you guys were possessed, honestly. Like poltergeist stuff."

"_Ghost..._" Ginga whispered to herself, and then wrote the title to the movie on the palm of her hand. Hayate rolled her eyes at her.

I walked over to Fate and attempted to grab her hand. The second my hand touched hers, I recoiled in pain, as did she. "Ow! What the hell?!" I fumed, holding my hand against my stomach. It felt like a small bolt of lightening just went through our bodies between our hands.

Fate stared at her hand curiously, and then her eyes grew wide with desperation as she looked at me. "Y-You can't touch me, Nanoha..."

My breath caught in my throat, and I had to swallow once just to speak. "I can't touch... you...?" Tears started to immediately fall from eyes as I shook my head. "No... No! I won't accept that! Take out your contacts, Fate-chan."

Fate nodded and silently walked to the table, removing the lenses from her eyes. After about a minute she paused, and then slowly turned around to face me. I quickly walked over to her and stared into her eyes.

"Please...please work," I begged. After five seconds with nothing occurring, I knew the sensation that we had been so desperately trying to avoid was now gone forever.

I turned away from Fate and pushed my palms into my now closed eyes. "This isn't fair! We didn't even do anything!" I yelled, frustrated.

"It's like you guys are being punished," Teana mentioned quietly. "For breaking the rules with the contacts, maybe?"

I felt someone grab me gently by the arm, and I pulled my hands away from my eyes to see Hayate giving me a comforting smile. "Nanoha... let's just try to figure out what to do now, okay? How about we see how close you and Fate can get to each other safely?

I nodded. "Okay, let's try that."

The group made our way to the common area, with Fate and I sitting on the loveseat. I turned and pulled one leg up to face her easier, leaning my arm against the back cushion. She turned so that her back was against her armrest, facing me.

"Okay, hold your hands up with your palms facing to each other," Hayate instructed. We complied, our hands about three feet apart. "Now move them together slowly until you feel something."

Fate and I did as we were told, trying to be as slow as possible as we moved. We didn't feel anything until we were about two inches apart, when suddenly our hands started to tingle, like little pins and needles were being poked into our skin all across the surface.

"Nyahaha, that kinda tickles," I said, before I sighed a little. I realized that being this close to Fate, without actually being able to touch her, was the worst punishment I could have received in this situation.

Hayate picked up a piece of paper and placed it between our hands. "Does this make any difference?" she asked. Fate and I both shook our heads.

"What does it feel like exactly?" Subaru asked us.

"Like electricity," Fate responded. "And when she and I hugged earlier, it felt like lightening had struck us."

Teana looked up for a moment. "Rubber absorbs electricity? What if you two wore rubber gloves?"

I had to laugh a little at how unromantic rubber gloves would be. "I don't know, everyone," I eventually said. "We got into this trouble for 'cheating' with the contacts, so we probably shouldn't push our luck for a while. Who knows what it would do to us next."

Hayate nodded. "Okay, new plan then. Ginga?" she called over her shoulder. "Can you find some movies that deal with characters not being able to touch each other?"

Ginga silently turned her hand around and pointed to the title _Ghost_ that she had written on it earlier. She then raised her eyebrows at Hayate, as if daring her to ever roll her eyes at her again. Hayate nodded her head in compliance, indicating that she understood her error completely.

"Teana, Subaru," Hayate then continued, "we will get together tomorrow with Ginga and discuss what we can do to help Fate and Nanoha. Sound good?" They both nodded.

"What should we do?" I asked, indicating myself and Fate.

"Keep trying new things together and see if anything changes," she replied with a shrug. "Oh yeah, you can also find out which god you angered and try to appease it, if you can."

Fate and I turned to each other and smiled. "You didn't forget, right?" I asked her.

"Nope," she replied, and then pulled out her cellphone. She unlocked it, and after pressing a few buttons she turned the screen to me. I could see the bottom two messages of a text conversation - -

_Me: I know its a school night but can I stay at Nanoha's house tonight?_

_Mom: Yes, but I better meet this girl soon Fate :)_

I grinned further, knowing that Fate talked about me with her mother, perhaps often. I stood up from the loveseat and reflexively extended my hand out to her. She looked at it first, and then back up to my eyes, her smile slowly fading.

"Oh... right," I realized. I pulled my hand back and grasped the strap of my backpack instead.

Fate and I made our way to the doorway. "We will do our best!" Ginga called out behind us.

"Thank you, everybody," I responded gratefully, before closing the clubroom door behind us. As Fate and I were heading down the stairs, Signum was walking up them.

"Ah, Takamachi, just who I wanted to see," she began. "I won't be here at work tomorrow, so I came to get your daily summary."

I thought for a moment. "_The future was with fate. The present was our own," _I replied, quoting a passage I had just discovered that day in literature class, one that resonated to my core.

"Interesting..." was all Signum said. We left her to her thoughts on the stairs, as Fate and I walked out of the building and headed to my house.

* * *

"Um, have you ever owned a cat?" I asked Fate.

"Yes, a long time ago. Linith was her name. I have a dog now, though. Her name is Arf," Fate replied, smiling at the ceiling.

Fate and I were lying on my bed, asking each other random questions about our lives. Everything had happened so quickly with so many emotions involved, we hadn't really had a chance to learn the simple details of each others' existence. I looked over at her face, laying on the pillow next to mine. Despite the hurried path we had been inadvertently been placed on, I had absolutely no regrets. I knew that my feelings for her were already steadfast, and truly unbreakable.

Fate looked over at me. "What is it, Nanoha?"

"Nothing, I'm just enjoying you being next to me is all," I replied. I felt my smile fade a little. "Fate-chan, do you have any regrets about what has happened? Anything you would have done differently, if you could?

Fate looked back up at the ceiling. "No," she said after a minute. "I wouldn't have traded anything for being able to kiss you earlier."

"Even if it means you can't now?" I countered, bittersweet memories of this afternoon flooding my mind.

Fate pulled herself up on one elbow to study me silently for a moment. "Nanoha... stay still," she finally instructed, sitting up on her knees beside me.

I complied as I watched her tie her long blond hair up into a bun, securing it with one of the hair sticks that was sitting on my headboard shelf. I panicked a little when I saw her reach up her hand and start in my direction, but almost immediately I relaxed again, knowing that I trusted her entirely.

Fate first moved her fingertips to rest above my hand, about six inches above it. She looked down in concentration as she lowered her hand slowly, trying to gauge the distance between us so as to not cause me pain. I gasped a little when I felt the slightest of electrical pulses emitting between her and I across the skin on my palm. Fate gave a small laugh at my reaction, never taking her eyes off of our connection.

Her hand began to trace lightly over mine, beginning at the tips of my fingers, as she covered every inch of my skin with her static pulse. I studied her face as she watched her hand move, and I noticed that when she moved her hand around a corner on mine, she would turn her head to the side absently. If she decided to draw a long stroke across my skin, she would bite her lip in concentration.

Occasionally, her fingers would dip a bit too low and the sensation would become a little painful, but she would furl her brow and readjust immediately. She made her way slowly up my arm, continuously dancing her fingertips across every bit of me that was exposed. She smiled a little when she saw goosebumps rise when she reached the sensitive area on the inside of my forearm.

When she reached the edge of my sweater sleeve, she passed over it and up to my chest, until she reached my bare skin on my chest showing above my scoop neck collar.

"You left a mark there, you know?" I scolded playfully, as she traced over my collarbone she had bitten earlier.

Fate narrowed her eyes at it, and then flicked her middle finger down quickly, sending an electrical charge right into my bruised skin. My body seized with the sensation, and I inadvertently moaned a little. Fate raised her eyebrows at me before nodding to herself, impressed with her own abilities.

"God, I cannot _wait_ to touch you again!" I growled, my statement clearly meant as a threat.

Fate smiled at me. "You're so cute when you pout, Nanoha."

She continued her journey, eventually hovering her finger over the red orb resting in the indent of the middle of my chest. She sensed that it wouldn't hurt me if she touched it, so she gently placed her middle fingertip on top of it. As she pulled her hand back, the red orb clung to her skin.

"Well, that's weird," was all I could say as the orb hovered over my chest. I watched her concentration break a little, and the orb dropped back onto my chest. I was impressed with how quickly Fate had learned to manipulate the electricity flowing between both of us.

She bent her head down to the orb, careful not to touch any part of my body with hers. She kissed the gem for a moment, with the smooth surface pressing into my skin. I felt tears forming, knowing that might be the closest form of a physical kiss from Fate I might be experiencing, at least for a while.

I turned my head lying on the pillow to the side and tilted it downward, exposing the side of my neck to her. Fate leaned over my body a bit more and hovered her lips over my skin, slowly tracing a path from my shoulder to underneath my ear. She moved her lips to be just above my ear, and I remembered her soft kiss on it earlier, something that nearly caused me to lose control completely. Her warm breath mixed with the static between us now caused a similar reaction, my breathing beginning to accelerate from its already heightened pace.

"Fate...chan..." I whispered, now torn with relishing the sensation, as well as feeling utter frustration, knowing that Fate's physical touch was not available to counterbalance the tension now building inside me.

She moved away from my ear and ran her lips over my closed eye closest to her. I felt my eyelashes sway a little in the wave of electricity dancing around them, before I slowly turned my head to look up at her. Her eyes showed a hint of tenderness and longing for me as well, as she slowly hovered her lips over mine, her mouth as close as it could be. I parted mine lips slightly, letting the sensation reach the softest areas of my flesh.

"I love you," I said softly to her.

Fate raised her head to look directly at me, her eyes searching wildly, as if to find confirmation that the words I just spoke were true. I watched her struggle to breath as tears immediately came to her eyes. Two fell and landed on either of my cheeks, and as reached my skin they burned momentarily until they turn cold. She tried to say something in return to my confession, but was unable to speak.

"Nyahaha, it's okay Fate-chan... I already know what you're trying to say," I assured her. She smiled a little and ducked her head, using her shoulder to wipe away the tears from one side. She then fell to the side, resuming her position lying next to me. I reached over, turning off the lamp that was setting on my bedside table. I turned onto my side to face her, and after she looked over to see my new position, she turned to face me as well.

"We'll get through this together, okay?" I said to her after a moment. I placed a hand on my pillow, and she moved her hand up to be next to it, placing them as close as we could to each other.

"Goodnight, Fate-chan..." I said softly, her comforting presence next to mine lulling me into sleep quickly.

"Goodnight...Nanoha."

* * *

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late!" Hayate said loudly, entering the clubroom. "I was assigned for cleaning dut-... Um, what are you all doing?"

Teana, Subaru, and Ginga were standing around the couch, leaning over and intently staring at my stomach. I was laying flat on my back on the cushions with Fate kneeling by my side, her hand hovering over my midsection.

"Fate has telekinesis now," Ginga simply replied.

Hayate came to stand next to Ginga, looking down to me as well. Fate's finger was about an inch above a pencil that had been placed on my stomach, and she was using the electric current that was flowing between us to roll it back and forth on the surface of my abdomen.

"Can you do that too, Nanoha?" Hayate asked.

I shook my head. "No, I haven't figured out how to control it like Fate-chan has."

"I've only figured out how to manipulate small things like this, though," Fate added. "Nothing big yet."

I giggled as I watched Fate try the stand the pencil on end, eraser side up. "Do you guys have any good ideas on what she and I should do next?" I asked the group.

"Not exactly," Teana said, rubbing the back of her head. "We started making a list of movies and books that we could start researching, but no definite plan."

"What kind of movies?" Fate asked, still concentrating on the pencil's movements.

"Movies that have characters that are not able to be together physically," Ginga responded. "I couldn't find any that relate with your situation in particular, though."

Hayate watched the pencil from the corner of her eyes, as Fate was now spinning it in slow circles on my stomach. "That's so weird... Anyway, we were thinking that you two can reenact scenes that seem helpful as we find them, to see if you can trigger some sort of end to this."

"And Fate, if you can think of other objects you would be interested to manipulating, just let me know," Subaru said.

As Fate and Subaru began discussing different experiments that could be tried and with which items, Ginga walked over to her bag to retrieve a movie.

"I brought _Ghost_ today to start us off with," she said, pulling out the disc from the case. "It's not exactly the same thing because the main character is dead, but it's a start."

Teana grabbed her clipboard to start making notes. "I'll write down any scenes that may seem helpful."

The six of us gathered around the common area to begin watching the movie, while Teana and I took notes. I often had to fight frustration and distraction, as I bitterly thought of how simple it was for Fate and I before, compared to our current situation.

"So, what about reenacting the clay pot scene?" Teana asked a few minutes into the movie, seeing that particular part of the movie beginning. We watched the two characters intimately destroy a clay pot together, as well as the extremely passionate make-out session they had afterward to the tune of "Unchained Melody." By the end of the song my blushing face was buried in my hands and Fate was staring at the floor, unable to look any of our friends' in the eyes.

"I-I guess that one is out then," Hayate said, quickly trying to move us all past the embarrassment in the room.

"Yeah, there is just no way I could find of a spinning wheel on this short of notice," she mused, lost in thought. The group chuckled a little at Subaru's innocence as we refocused on the movie again.

"I could always help you two do this scene?" Ginga asked, giving me and Fate a teasing wink as the scene started. We all watched the scene where the deceased male character possesses the physic woman's body, so that he could use it to touch his widowed wife.

"No one is possessing anyone!" Hayate suddenly stood up and yelled loudly.

The five of us jumped back in our seats at her random outburst. Hayate then lowered her head and sat back down, and I spotted a blush begin to form on her cheeks.

I leaned over to Fate. "Did Hayate just get jealous?" I asked her quietly.

"I think so," Fate responded. "Although, I don't think Ginga really noticed."

Teana crossed the scene off her list. "That's a definite 'no'," she said, cautiously glancing over to Hayate's sulking form.

We continued on with the movie, with nothing seeming obvious or helpful through it. Finally, we reached the scene where the deceased character uses a penny to prove his existence as a ghost.

"I've got an idea," Fate suddenly said, standing up from the loveseat. "Subaru, do you have a penny?"

Subaru dug into her pockets, pulling out some coins and resting them on the palm of her hand. Fate walked over and picked out one of the brighter, newer pennies. "Let's go over to the door," she instructed.

Sensing that we were about to do a reenactment, Hayate immediately went into director mode. "Nanoha, you stand behind Fate here. I'll stand here against the wall, and Ginga, you be across from me. Teana and Subaru, you guys stand behind Nanoha but off to the sides so you can still see."

We all watched Fate as she knelt down and placed the penny on the floor in front of the closed door. She placed her finger on top of it, and I could tell her mind was completely focused as she started to drag it across the floor and up the side of the door.

About a fourth of the way up the door, I watched Hayate's and Ginga's expression change from curiosity to complete shock as they watched Fate's movements. I couldn't see anything odd from my view point behind Fate that would warrant their expressions. A little over halfway up the door, Fate began to shift her body to the side to complete the next part of the scene.

She carefully let the penny fall away from the door and onto her fingertip, as I then felt my own mouth drop open and my eyes grow wide. The penny was hovering _above_ her finger, about an inch in the air, as she slowly began walking it towards me.

"H-how are you doing that?" I asked her, stunned.

Fate's eyes narrowed on the penny. "I'm picturing your skin in my mind," she responded softly.

I held my breath as the penny came closer, my mind engrossed in the small miracle I was seeing before me. I felt the enormity of her feelings for me through her gesture, so much so that it was bringing me to tears. As she came closer, she recited her character's line from the scene. "Tell her it's for '_love_'," she said over her shoulder.

"Isn't it supposed to be '_luck_'?" Teana asked Hayate and Ginga.

Fate smiled directly at me. "Not in my version," she replied.

* * *

The club spent the rest of that week researching various movies, songs, books and poems, but we came up with no solid answer. The day after Fate discovered her ability to manipulate objects without me, Ginga brought the movie _Carrie_ for them to examine. I knew she had hoped that Fate would be able to toss objects all around the room by the end of the movie, but in the end Fate could only hover small objects above her fingertip like the penny before.

By Friday, I was depressed with all the material we had combed through about unrequited love and ill-fated lovers. I was lying on bed that night after a shift at the cafe, fighting away the bitterness that was threatening to break my resolve, when I heard a soft knock on my second-story window. Smiling, I stood up from my bed and pulled apart the curtains over my window. Fate was on the other side, perched precariously outside the window, as she clung to the latticework along the side of the house.

I unlocked the window and raised it, and then leaned my forearms against the frame to look at her closer.

"_But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?_" she quoted playfully, before bringing her face closer to mine, the mischievous glint returning to her eyes. "_It is the east, and Juliet is the sun._"

"Silly me, I thought you were going to use the front door for some reason," I replied, smiling. "Did you get permission from your mom?" I asked next.

"Yep! You have me all to yourself this weekend, Nanoha," she confirmed. She then frowned slightly. "There is one condition, though."

"What's that?"

"She made me promise that you would meet her some time next week," Fate informed me.

I laughed. "Okay, I think I can handle that."

An air of silence fell over us. "So, Nanoha..." Fate finally began, shifting her position a little outside my window.

I pretended to act surprised. "Oh, did... did you want to come in or something, Fate-chan?" I motioned inside with my thumbs over my shoulder.

"Not unless you want me to quote some more Shakespeare out here?" she replied with a shrug.

I moved out of her way so that she could enter my room. "Do you really know more Shakespeare?" I asked, watching her bring her other leg through my window.

She shook her head. "No, not really. I looked up that quote on my way over here, honestly."

She sat down in my desk chair, and I sat on the edge of my bed. "So, anything you want to do in particular this weekend, Fate-chan?" I asked.

I observed her blush a little before responding. "W-Well, Nanoha, I was actually hoping that we could go on a date tomorrow? A real one, I mean."

I looked up, lost in thought for a moment. "It's funny, how backwards everything is," I finally said.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her head tilting to the side slightly.

"Well, we were soul mates from the first moment we saw each other, right? And before we knew it we were in love, but then we had to decide if we actually wanted to be together or not. And now... we are considering going on a date. It usually happens in the exact opposite way for most people."

"Ah, I see... Soooo, you're saying that you'll go on a date with me then, right Nanoha?" Fate asked.

"Nyahaha, of course I will, Fate-chan."

* * *

The next morning I woke up before Fate, who was still sleeping peacefully next to me in my bed. The night wasn't completely restful for us, as we accidentally bumped into each other a few times, forcing us wide awake in pain. After the third time, Fate almost decided to sleep on the floor but I stopped her, putting a pillow between us instead for insurance.

I was in the kitchen making breakfast for us when I heard her come in from the hallway, and she stopped and leaned against the doorway to watch me. My family had already gone their own separate ways for the day, leaving just her and I with the house to ourselves.

"I could get used to this," she stated.

"Let's see, I could respond by asking 'Me, or the breakfast?', but I already know the answer to that one. So, I will instead say that you really shouldn't get used to this, because I am not the best cook around."

Fate stood behind me, and leaned over my shoulder to look at the stove. "Yum, oatmeal," she said playfully.

I shook my head and smiled, turning the bacon and the eggs in the skillet. "God, I must be worse than I thought!"

Fate poured herself a cup of coffee. "Well, the coffee is really good," she mentioned after a sip.

I set the spatula down and stared at the wall in front of me. "Y-Yeah, my mom made it, actually."

Fate sat down at the table behind me. "So is there any place you wanted to go in particular today, Nanoha?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Not really," I replied, as I set her breakfast plate in front of her. "Honestly, I would like us to have an average day together, like a normal couple would."

She looked at me in a side glance. "Are we a normal couple?" she asked.

I stepped back from her to get my own plate, not saying anything until I sat down next to her. I finally mustered up the courage to ask, "Are we a couple at all?"

"Do you want to be a couple, Nanoha?" she countered.

I pouted a little. "Will be a couple with me, Fate-chan?" I mumbled.

Fate took a bite of her eggs, chewing on them thoughtfully as she considered her response. I narrowed my eyes at her as she took her time.

"Well, since I'm already madly in love with you, how bad could it be, really?" she finally replied.

I poked her hard on the shoulder with her response, causing both of us to recoil in pain. She grabbed her wounded shoulder in her hand and stared at me in shock for a moment, but before long she was grinning wildly at me.

"You really are too cute when you pout, Nanoha," she laughed.

* * *

**A/N:** No cliffhanger this time! I'll be starting on the next chapter as soon as possible, so expect it in the next few days. See ya then! ~Nissanity(wavy line)


	7. Chapter 7 - Go For Broke

**A/N: **Not too much to say about this update, as I wanted to try something a little different this time around. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 7 – ****__****Go For Broke**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

"Fate-chan, I have to use the restroom before the train gets here. How long do I have?" I asked.

Fate looked down at her watch. "Um, about five minutes. You should make it in time."

"Okay, I'll be right back," I responded. I gave Fate a little wave before I started jogging to the restrooms behind us on the platform.

"Make sure you hurry! The next train won't get here for another hour if we miss it!" she yelled after me.

I turned around and waved again in acknowledgment, before making my way to the entrance of the women's restroom. It was a silly action, as I didn't have an actual need to use the restroom. I wanted to check over my appearance before Fate and I left on our first 'normal' date as a couple together. I was a little nervous about it, even though she and I had been through so much together already, and I usually felt most at ease with her by my side.

I retied my side ponytail for a second time, and smoothed my blouse with my hands that was tucked neatly into my skirt. I smiled as I thought of Fate staring openly at the small gap between my skirt and my thighhighs, just before we had left my house this morning. I was now considering whether I had one too many buttons fastened on my blouse at the top, when the ruby gem resting against my chest caught my attention. I held it between my thumb and index fingertips, sliding it along the chain back and forth. I thought of the other half of the pendant it belonged with, which was resting under the shirt of the blond that had captivated my entire being.

"_Two minutes left..._" I thought to myself as I exited the restroom and began the short journey back to Fate. I was shocked to find the train had already arrived at the station, and most of the waiting passengers had boarded, the doors starting to close behind them. I looked around quickly for Fate, not seeing her anywhere on the platform.

As I approached the train, I saw her standing on the inside of it, looking out the window. She had a smirk on her face, her eyes watching me through the windowpane mischievously.

"What the hell?" I mouthed through the window, throwing my hands up in the air at her as the door shut completely in front of us.

I watched her reach into her pocket and pull out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it, and then pressed it against the window as the train started moving. _'Serendipity' _was all the paper said, with an arrow pointing to the right underneath it. I instantly recognized it as the same sign I had placed on the bulletin board outside of her class, on the day Fate chased me through the hallways and the courtyard, when I eventually lead her to our clubroom.

I looked back to Fate quickly, and observed that she now had her cell phone in her hand. I watched her slowly press the power button on it, severing all contact I might have had with her. She gave me one final wave as the train exited the station, leaving me dumbfounded as I watched it glide away.

"God, I cannot _wait_ to be able to touch her again!" I growled to myself.

I pulled out my cellphone to check the time, before walking over to the giant electric board that listed the train schedules. True to what she had told me a few minutes earlier, the next train wasn't due for another hour. I decided that the best course of action would be to run to the next station the train would be stopping at and intercept her there.

Readjusting my purse over my shoulder, I turned and ran towards the stairs of the station that led to the street above. I climbed the stairs two at a time, missing a stair once and stumbling a bit. As I turned the corner of the railing at the top to begin running down the street, I ran headlong into a large crowd of people, all heading in the opposite direction I was planning on traveling.

"Yep, that's about right," was all I muttered to myself.

Attempting to maneuver through the crowd, I pushed my way through it in about twice the time it would normally take if the street were empty. Breathing hard from the effort, I eventually made it to the crosswalk of a busy intersection I had to cross.

I was surprised to find myself the only person waiting to cross, despite the crowded street of pedestrians all around me. I watched the illuminated red character intently, waiting for it to turn green so that I could cross the street. The traffic lights cycled several times, but the crosswalk sign never changed.

"Excuse me, Miss!" a male voice came from above me. I looked upwards, using my hand to shield my eyes from the sun, to the top of the pole next to me. There were two men strapped to it, wearing tool belts and holding wrenches in their hands. "We're fixing the crosswalk sign now, you'll have to go back a street to cross!" he informed me.

I smiled and waved at him through my gritted teeth, before I turned to make my way to the other crosswalk, which was in the opposite direction of my intended destination. I made my way slowly through a new crowd of people that had suddenly appeared, before I finally crossed the street at the intersection and doubled back, running up the parallel street. I ran all the way to the next train station port, and flew down the stairs to the platform.

I looked at my cell phone, and then checked the train station schedule again. The train Fate was on had arrived and departed fifteen minutes prior, giving her plenty of time to gain distance on me.

"_Now what...?_" I asked myself, looking at the nearly deserted platform. I began walking around, hoping to find a clue anywhere around me. Across the platform I noticed a set of lockers that passengers could use to temporarily store items in the station. The door to the one in the very middle was slightly open, so I immediately ran over to it and opened it.

Inside, the locker was empty except for a photo strip laying on the bottom shelf. I picked it up and saw Fate in all five of the photos, making confused gestures and shrugs at the camera, with a sign in her hand in each one. I had to laugh at how adorable her poses were in all of them as I read the signs to myself.

"_Where... Did... I... Go... Nanoha?_" they asked. I looked to my right, spotting the photo booth she had used to take the pictures. I walked over to it and opened the curtain, revealing a little toy boat resting on the seat.

"A boat...?" I pondered out loud. I began to think long and hard about what the toy could symbolize, and after a few minutes it finally occurred to me. I ran back across the platform and up the stairs to the street again.

"Taxi!" I yelled, holding my hand up in the air. Three cabs passed me by before one finally stopped to let me in. "Uminari Dockyards, please," I requested, passing the driver a ten dollar bill in advance.

"Yes, ma'am," the driver responded and pulled back into traffic, but then immediately stopped behind the bumper of another car. "Uh-oh, this doesn't look good..." she continued, now looking ominously at the street ahead of us. I looked through the front windshield as well, and noticed police cars and helicopters circling the intersection ahead of us.

"Is all the traffic stopped everywhere in this area?" I asked.

"Yep, looks like we are going to be here a while," the cabbie said, placing the taxi into park and leaning back in her seat.

I pushed the cab door open next to me quickly. "Keep the money," I said as I slammed the door. I began to make the trek to my new destination on foot, using any alley or shortcut I could find along the way, although it still took about thirty minutes to arrive at the shoreline.

I looked up as I arrived at the dock, taking in the older cruise ship sitting in the sea, looming above me. It had been restored a few years ago, and was now serving as a floating museum for the city. My eyes focused on the front railing of the ship, and I then ran towards the entrance ramp. Paying the admission fee, I boarded the ship and made my way through the maze of corridors and stairwells until I reached the upper deck.

I walked slowly to the front railing, smiling to myself as I remembered the first 'date' Fate and I had, where we reenacted the railing scene from the movie _Titanic_. It was the first time she and I had been transported to our own world, and the first time we discovered what happened if that world was disturbed.

I spotted a metal scenery viewer next to the edge of the railing. I deposited a quarter in the slot to activate it, and then peered into viewer that was currently pointed across the bay at the sidewalk below.

I pulled back to blink twice, and then looked closer into the binoculars to see Fate on the sidewalk, standing next to a bench. She was looking up at me smiling, all while she waved something white and brown over her head. I saw her turn to place the object in her hand on the bench next to her.

"Fate-chan!" I yelled to her, and turned and ran to leave the upper deck of the ship. I quickly made my way through the same corridors and staircases I had used before, eventually making my way down to the entrance ramp to the sidewalk below.

Running over to the bench, I discovered that Fate had already disappeared again. I recognized the object on the bench before I even reached it, and I grinned as I picked up and examined the stuffed animal in my hand.

"Nyahaha, bald eagle..." I murmured, recalling our _500 Days of Summer_ scene reenactment in my house. I pulled out my cellphone and looked up the address to the furniture store. Happy that it was only a few blocks away, I quickly began to jog in it's direction.

"Welcome to _Ikea!_" a cheerful voice greeted me at the door. I nodded my head in acknowledgment to the store greeter, and then requested a map to the store. I looked at the store layout before me, quickly finding the section that showcased the kitchens.

I took a few shortcuts, eventually ending up in the kitchen modelling section. I walked past each mock set-up, looking for my next clue on the journey. I didn't discover anything from the walkway, so I decided to make a second pass, actually looking inside the appliances and sinks as I went.

It was in the oven of the third kitchen that I found two black dry-erase markers tied together, placed exactly in the center of the top rack. I thought back to the two markers that had been ruined in the making of crude props for our reenactments. Holding their replacements now in my hand, I knew exactly where my next destination would be.

Before I left the store, I decided I would purchase one of their cinnamon rolls on my way out, since it was well past lunchtime and I rarely had a chance to eat one. The store's infamous take on the pastry was the only match I had found to the ones my mother made in our family cafe daily.

"Are you Nanoha?" the clerk asked me suddenly as I placed my order. I could only stare back at her in stunned silence at her question. She eventually raised her eyebrows at me, and I finally nodded my head slowly.

"Someone already paid for it. A blond girl," she continued, handing me the cinnamon roll wrapped in wax paper. She then gave me a confused look as I started to cry a little as I bit into the pastry, completely enamored by Fate's knowing gesture.

I exited the store and caught a bus that was headed in the direction of my school. It was not long before I was standing in the school courtyard, staring up at the building where our clubroom was inside.

I was nervous that the building might be locked, since it was a weekend and students usually weren't on the school grounds. Much to my surprise, the front door of the building was open, and I made my way upstairs to the door of the clubroom.

I walked inside, feeling that it was eerily quiet without Hayate and the rest of the girls' presence filling the room. I made my way over to the dry erase board, and I pulled out the two new markers from my purse, setting them down in the tray at the base of it. I looked over the board, noticing there was a new quote under the "What We Learned Today" section.

"_See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! __O, that I were a glove upon that hand. That I might touch that cheek!_" the quote read. I recognized the verses as the next lines to the Shakespeare quote Fate had recited to me the day before, outside my bedroom window. I looked over to the table to see a rubber glove had been placed carefully on it. I laughed for quite a while, remembering Teana's suggestion for Fate and I to wear rubber gloves, so that we could touch each other without pain.

I placed my hand inside the glove and discovered a rolled up piece of paper in the tip of one of the fingers. I retrieved the paper and opened it carefully, and written on it was an address I did not recognize. I pulled out my cellphone and programmed the address into the route navigator on my phone. I was quickly given directions to my next destination, located not too far from the school.

"_Going Pottie..._" I quietly read the sign above the entrance to the next destination I was led to, completely bewildered. I slowly pushed the door open, and the smell of clay quickly invaded my senses.

"Welcome! You must be Nanoha!" the woman behind the counter cheerfully proclaimed as she saw me enter. I froze for the second time that day upon hearing a complete stranger say my name.

"We have your station all set up back here," she continued warmly, leading me to the back of the store. I followed her into a room that had several clay spinning wheels in the middle of it, in what looked to be a classroom.

"_Ghost..._" I whispered to myself.

The clerk turned her head to look at me over her shoulder. "Yes, we get that a lot," she told me, amused.

She gestured to the seat in front of one of the spinning wheels. I sat down in it, still unsure about what was about to happen next.

"Fate said you would know what to do," she simply stated and walked away, leaving me alone in the room with a mound of clay resting on the spinning wheel. I looked at the machine and noticed an on/off switch near one of the legs. It turned it on, and before long the clay was quickly spinning in front of me.

I sighed and looked at the ceiling for a moment, knowing that things were about to get pretty messy for me. I pulled the sleeves of my blouse up to my elbows, and then rolled my shoulders a few times to loosen up. I then dug my hands into the clay, searching for my next clue.

I tore apart the mound for a few minutes, confused that there was nothing inside of it. I looked around the room for another clue, but still was unable to discover anything. The store clerk eventually made her way back into the room I was in, staring mournfully at the destroyed clay in front me as she approached. I noticed then that she had an envelope in her hand.

"Fate told me to wait five minutes and then give you this," she informed me, extending the envelope. I looked at it and then back at my dirty hands, half impressed and half pissed off at the trick Fate had just pulled on me.

"Thank you, you can just set it on the table there, please," I responded politely to her as I stood up to wash my arms in the sink in the corner of the room. After I had cleaned off the clay, I picked up the envelope that clerk had left. Inside was a passage written in beautiful calligraphy on textured paper - -

"_If we are to live life in harmony with the universe – we all must possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call 'fatum', what we currently refer to as destiny._"

I recognized the quote, which was said right before my favorite scene from the movie _Serendipity_, and I instinctively knew my final destination for that evening. Thanking the woman for her time, I hailed a cab and made my way across town.

I entered the lobby of the city's ice-skating rink, noting few other patrons were in the facility at the moment. I approached the clerk behind the counter where customers rented ice skates. "Is it usually this quiet for a Saturday evening?" I asked him.

"Never," he replied. "I don't know what's going on, but you pretty much have the rink to yourself." I gave him my shoe sized and he produced the skates, and I walked over to the door to enter the enclosed rink inside.

As I walked in, I noted a mother and two children exiting the rink, the kids stumbling a little off the ice, before taking choppy steps to sit on a bench in the front. I laced my skates up as I watched the mother help pull theirs off, and I couldn't help but wonder if I would have children in the future. I made my way to the rink, taking careful steps as the mother and children walked past me. I entered onto the ice as the door closed behind them, leaving me completely alone in the facility.

I could sense Fate somewhere in the arena watching me, although I couldn't quite pinpoint her location. I decided to skate a few laps around the ice, enjoying the freedom of movement it allowed me, almost like I was flying. After a few moments I sat down in the middle of the rink, and then laid on my back completely and stretched out my arms, staring up to the ceiling.

I felt Fate approach slowly, before she finally stopped a few yards away behind me. I was still looking up to the ceiling when a rubber glove came into my vision and landed on my chest, a reenactment of the scene in question from the movie, mostly. I grabbed the glove in my hand and laughed, tilting my head back to see her upside-down form in my vision.

"We need to discuss your version of 'normal' in regards to dating, Fate-chan," I teased her, and then returned my eyes to look back at the ceiling.

"I don't remember agreeing we were 'normal' in any way, Nanoha," she replied. She knelt down in front of my head, and her upside-down face was now in my vision. The front of her hair was flowing down towards me, barely missing my face as it swayed slightly. She tucked one side of her hair behind her ear and moved it behind her shoulder. She then slowly leaned down until she was looking at my eyes with hers.

"I was worried you would have given up on me right away," she said.

"I could never give up on you, silly," I told her. She smiled and her eyes seemed to shine a little at my comment. "I had a really great date today, Fate-chan."

"Good, because it's not over yet," she replied. She then slowly moved her face closer, hovering her lips a few inches over mine. It took me a moment to realize that there was no tingling sensation between the two of us.

"Fate...chan..." I whispered, confused but hopeful at the lack of electricity between us.

Fate smiled, and then pressed her hands against the ice on either side of me. She moved her lips down to meet mine in a kiss, and I reached up and put my hand on the back of her head to keep her close. Although I had no idea how we were achieving it, I had missed the feeling of her touch against mine for too long already to not relish in it fully.

After a minute, Fate separated her lips from mine. I paused, slightly breathless, and then sat up and turned to face her. "H-how?" I asked "How did you...we, do that?" I stammered.

"I guess we appeased the god we had angered with our date today?" she replied with a shrug.

I frowned at her statement. "Or made it worse by cheating, somehow?" I responded, now worried.

She pointed down the ice below us. "Water is a good conductor of electricity but ice isn't, so most of our electricity was displaced, I think. I'm not sure if we are to blame, since we didn't do it on purpose."

I crossed my arms across my chest. "If we fall into a black hole or something, I'm blaming you," I told her.

"I'll accept full responsibility," she replied, smiling. We heard the sound of the door opening to the rink, as a new skater entered the arena. "I guess that's our cue to go," she concluded.

I held her hand as we made our way across the ice to the side of the rink, wanting to feel her touch against my skin for as long as possible. As we reached the edge of the ice, I wrapped my arms around her neck and pulled her close to me.

"Thank you for today, Fate-chan," I said next her ear.

Fate wrapped her arms around my waist at the same time. "Anytime, Nanoha," she replied. She then lifted me up a few inches from the floor and kissed me one last time, before we parted and exited the ice.

We were sitting on a bench as I was removing my skates to put on my shoes, and we were casually chatting about everything I had experienced that day. A few times I pouted, but mostly I laughed with Fate about the details of my day. I pulled the photo strip out from my jacket pocket and taunted her with it. She playfully tried to take it away from me a few times, but I moved it out of her reach each time.

On her final attempt to grab it, her hand accidentally brushed mine, and to each others' astonishment we experienced no pain at all. My eyes were wide as I pushed on her shoulder next, stunned with not having the feeling of lightening strike between us.

"Nanoha!" Fate cried, now pawing at my arms and hands wildly.

"You... you can touch me?" I questioned. "You can touch me! Fate, oh my GOD, you can touch me again!" I flew into her and hugged her tight. She hugged me back in return, and we didn't move much as we just sat holding each other.

"We should go home," I suddenly said, pulling back. "I mean, my home. We should go to my house. Now!" I rambled, quickly standing up and grabbing Fate's hand. She stood up awkwardly as I pulled her up off the bench without warning.

Fate blushed. "Y-yeah, we can do that, I guess," she replied, blushing as she looked away to the floor.

I stopped and turned to face her. I kissed her softly, before I moved my lips to hover above her earlobe. I kissed and sucked on it a little for a moment, before finally whispering lightly in her ear.

"I want to repay you for everything you did for me today, Fate-chan..."

* * *

"So, do you think it's over then?" I asked Fate the following morning.

Fate paused for a moment, then leaned up on the bed and turned over slightly. She reached above me to retrieve the penny she had given me during our _Ghost_ 'date', which now lived on the headboard of my bed. She held it above her fingertip and as she let it drop, it continued to hover about an inch above it.

"If I can still do this, then I assume it's not gone," she replied, catching the penny in her palm.

"I still don't get the feeling it is upset with us anymore, though. Not that I'm an expert on it or anything," I added with a shrug.

"So, what's for breakfast?" she asked me.

I kissed her lightly. "You tell me, Fate-chan," I responded with a smile.

"I see... So, um, Nanoha, I have a confession to make," she said seriously.

I raised my eyebrows to her. "Hmmm?"

She traced her finger lightly across the threading of the comforter on my bed. "I... I can't cook," she informed me.

"Fate-chan, you are one of the smartest people I know. If you can read, you can cook," I scolded her.

She paused. "Um, Nanoha, I have another confession to make," she continued, looking away to the wall beside her now. I giggled a little and waited for her next admission.

"I-I can't read," she told me in a whisper dramatically. I laughed out loud, then pushed her back on the bed and straddled her hips.

"You must really be terrible at cooking, if you would prefer my food to making something yourself," I said, cupping my hands around her cheeks.

She grabbed me by the waist and pulled me closer to her. "You're a good cook. If you weren't, I wouldn't have told you yes when you asked me to be your girlfriend yesterday."

"Really? After everything we've been through, it came down to that?" I scoffed.

She nodded seriously. "It's a very important subject."

"I agree completely," I replied, and then quickly removed myself from her hips and stood up from the bed. "That's why you get nothing else from me until you make us breakfast, Fate-chan."

"Alright," she said reluctantly, then walked towards my bedroom door, beginning to open it. "I'll see you in the kitchen!" she sang out to me.

I grabbed her by the hand and pulled her away from the door, slamming it shut. "Fate-chan, we may be alone at my house, but you still can't cook naked."

"Oh, we're alone? I would have thought your parents would still be here?" she replied, pretending to look disappointed.

I threw her shirt at her face. "That reminds me, I should go meet your mother today, if she is free," I told her.

Fate's face lit up as she smiled widely. "Really? She doesn't work today. She would like that a lot!"

"Yep! I need to ask her about your cooking skills," I responded, moving my hair out from under the shirt I had just put on.

Fate's face fell, and then she quickly put on her shirt and pants. "I'll go make breakfast then," she hurriedly stated, walking out the door.

I followed Fate in the kitchen and sat down at the table as she started familiarizing herself with the layout of it. I would occasionally call out instructions to her as she asked questions, but mostly I enjoyed reading the newspaper while listening to her cook behind me. I grinned as I looked over and watched her crack an egg open against the skillet, the egg hovering under about an inch under her fingertips.

We ate breakfast and showered, finally getting ready to leave the house on our journey over to hers. "Does she know we are coming?" I asked Fate.

Fate shook her head. "I thought we would just surprise her," she replied.

I took her hand in mine and opened the front door. "Sounds good to me," I smiled.

* * *

"Fate, what are you doing here? Wait, why were you knocking?" I heard her mother ask her. Her view of me standing next to Fate on the front porch was obstructed by the open door.

Fate pulled me by the hand to where she was standing, and I was suddenly facing her mother. "Mom, this is Nanoha. Nanoha, this is my mother, Lindy," she introduced us.

"Hi, Lindy-san it is so nice to – _ooph_!" I groaned a little as Lindy ran forward and gave me a huge hug, knocking the wind out of me a little.

"Nanoha, I finally get to meet you! What a wonderful surprise! You two, come on in, I was just cleaning up the kitchen." She pulled away from me, and then motioned us inside to follow her.

I looked around at Fate's house as we entered. It felt cozy inside, as it was very clean with warm accents of red and green splashed against the beige interior. I could see a lot of pictures on the wall, and I recognized Fate in various stages of childhood, looking very happy in most of them.

"I'll have to give you a tour later," Fate told me in my ear. I smiled at her and nodded, excited with the notion of seeing how she lived.

We met Lindy in the kitchen, and she began setting up a tea set in the middle of the dining room table. We sat down at the table, making ourselves comfortable, as she turned to the stove to start heating some water.

"So, Nanoha, I was surprised to see you holding Fate's hand on the porch?" she said suddenly over her shoulder.

My eyes grew wide at her statement, and I glanced nervously over at Fate. She placed an elbow on the table and leaned her head against her hand with raised eyebrows, grinning at me silently.

"Well, I, um..." I stammered.

"Oh, I'm just curious is all. When Fate left on Friday, she told me you two weren't able to touch each other anymore. That it was painful if you did," she continued.

I narrowed my eyes at Fate, and she took the clue to start talking. "I've told my mom everything that has happened over the past few weeks," she told me. "She is a cultural anthropologist, so this sort of thing really interests her."

"I think it would interest anybody, honestly," Lindy said, turning back around to place cream and a large bowl of sugar on the table. "There is a lot of mythology about fated lovers from past civilizations that may be rooted in fact, so nothing surprises me."

"Did you find out anything about our situation?" Fate asked her.

"Not yet," Lindy replied, shaking her head. "Fate, why don't you show Nanoha around the house while I finish making the tea?"

Fate nodded, and then walked behind my chair and extended her hand to me. I took hers in return, and she gently pulled me out of the side kitchen doorway and into the living room. We walked over to the entertainment center, and Fate opened up one of the side cabinets. Inside were several rows of DVD's inside, some still in their plastic wrapping.

"I've been studying," she told me proudly. "I've had a lot of catching up to do to you guys." I turned my head to the side and recognized most of the movie titles as ones that Hayate, Ginga, and I had on our "watched" list, before we had formed the official club together.

I wrapped my arms around her neck and smiled up at her. "I see. Do you have any favorites yet?" I asked.

She shrugged as she pulled me in closer to her. "Anything that we've already had 'dates' to."

"Good answer," I replied. I then looked past her shoulder at the pictures on the wall behind her. "You were a really cute kid."

She turned to face where I was looking, and then turned back at me. "Yeah, I don't know what happened, honestly."

"I wouldn't mind our children looking like that," I told her.

She jerked her head back a little. "Our children? There could be a little issue with that being possible."

I smiled and put my head on her chest. "Oh, I didn't tell you? _It_ made me pregnant with your child. I'm due anytime," I joked.

She moved her hand to the back of my head above my neck, gesturing me to look up with her. "I knew I shouldn't have given it up so easily to you last night," she said to me.

"Yep, you're stuck with me now," I teased, and then moved my face up to hers and kissed her softly. She placed her hands along my jawline and pulled me in, opening her mouth slightly for our lips to fit together closer. I deepened the kiss as I pulled my arms around her neck down, pushing her lips harder into mine.

Suddenly, it felt like the weight in front of me had given out, and I fell forward slightly. Catching myself, I stepped back and opened my eyes. In front of me, Fate had a faint white glow around her and she looked panicked. I watched her form start to fade away in front of me.

I reached out my hand to help her, and was horrified when my hand went right through her chest. Her eyes grew wider as she looked down at her chest and then back up, searching my eyes in fear. I watched her try to say my name, but no sound came out that I could hear.

"Fate-chan!" I cried desperately, as I saw the side of her beginning to dissolve into the air. I clawed at her desperately, the fog of her form dissolving the more I pushed my hands through her body. I stopped, and could only helplessly watch her dissolve away completely in front of me.

Lindy heard my cry and ran in from the kitchen, seeing the last bit of dissolving matter in the air as she turned the corner. "What happened? Nanoha, what is it? Where's Fate?" she asked frantically.

I stared down at my trembling hands. "She's gone," I whispered, before I fell to my knees and grabbed fistfuls of hair in my hands.

"FAATTTTTTEEEEEEEEE!" I screamed.

* * *

**A/N:** Yep, another cliffhanger. My apologies! So, I skipped over their first time together like I did for now, since I will probably be exploring it in a 'M' rated one-shot soon. I didn't want to tease everyone with some huge physical build-up in the story just to then leave you all hanging, since this is a 'T'-rated fic. And yeah, it would not have been a 'T'-rated scene at all lol. Well, I'll post the next update soon! ~Nissanity~


	8. Chapter 8 - Hell or Highwater

**A/N: **I finally was able to shine a little clarity on the situation Nanoha and Fate are going through in this update, although we still have a lot more to go in this story. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 8 – ****__****Hell or Highwater**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

"How long has it been?" I asked.

"About half an hour."

I paused for a moment. "I can't stand this," I said quietly, brushing away a few tears from my cheeks with shaking hands. I listened to the ticking grandfather clock outside the kitchen doorway in the otherwise silent house. "It feels like we should be doing something. Anything."

Lindy was sitting at the kitchen table, staring across it with an empty tea cup gripped tightly in her hand. I was leaning against the kitchen counter across from her, occasionally pacing from my spot to the doorway, hoping to see Fate on the other side by some miracle.

"Do you know why she might have disappeared?" I asked after a few minutes of silence.

Lindy shook her head. "I don't know. I've never heard of anything like this before in all of my studies."

"I don't understand. Why us? Why are we being punished like this?" I said, clenching my fists.

"Nanoha, I do not think this is a form of punishment," Lindy began gently. I turned my head to face her as she spoke, watching her begin to pour a cup of tea.

"It feels like it, though," I told her. "It's like something outside of ourselves is trying to keep us apart."

"And your response to it is...?" she asked.

I crossed my arms. "I'm going to fight to be with her. No matter what it takes," I affirmed.

"Exactly," she replied, now smiling a little. She then began to add cubes of sugar to her tea as she spoke again. "Nanoha, I assume you know what a 'muse' is, correct?"

I nodded my head in confirmation. "Yes, an artist's source of inspiration, basically."

"Well," she continued, "You may have already learned about this in school as well, but there were actually nine muses in Greek mythology. They were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, with Mnemosyne representing 'memory'."

I nodded again silently, perplexed at where the conversation was headed.

"Throughout history, human beings have always written stories of true love, yes? Masterpieces that filled mankind with hope, and of the possibility that two people were destined to be together forever. So, what if... all those fated encounters in the stories had actually occurred at some point in history?"

I frowned. "So, the writer witnessed the relationships happening at some point, and then wrote about it?" I asked, still confused.

Lindy shook her head gently. "No. The theory behind all of this is that Mnemosyne contains the memories of these encounters that occurred throughout history, and the Nine Muses have dedicated their existence to sharing those experiences, by inspiring artists all around us to recreate them."

"So every movie or book written may have been based on events that actually occurred in the past?" I asked, finally understanding what Lindy was saying.

"That's right. Details may be changed as time progresses, to reflect the period of time in which the story is told, but overall it is a retelling of prior events," she informed me.

I looked up, now lost in thought. "So, what does that have to do with Fate and I?"

"Well, the stories have to be based on somebody, correct?" she responded, and then took a sip of her tea.

I paused. "Now I'm confused again," I finally replied.

"Nanoha... do you truly think this is the first time you've met and fallen in love with Fate?"

I felt myself fall backwards against the kitchen counter at the weight of her words. The longer I thought about it, the more the pieces started falling into place. It was true - - my feelings for Fate were instantaneous from the first time I saw her, as if my love for her was engrained in my being itself. It would also mean the reenactments we were performing were a retelling of events in our previous lives, and that we were entering the roles as _ourselves_ each time.

"I don't believe in reincarnation," I said softly, although I could feel my eyes betraying my words.

Lindy set her tea cup down against the saucer with a soft _clink_. "You're going to say something like that, after everything else that has happened?" she asked me, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"But what about the electricity thing? And when we couldn't touch?" I began to ask her hurriedly.

"Honestly, I really don - " she began to respond, before we both heard a loud _thud_ come from the living room. Lindy and I tore through the kitchen doorway to find Fate laying in the middle of the room, her back to us.

"Fate-chan!" I screamed, immediately running to her side. I gently rolled her over to face me, and I began checking her body for any injuries. She was unconscious and her breathing was shallow, and I placed my hand over her heart and felt it beating rapidly.

I began sobbing as I pulled her close, holding her limp body in my arms tightly, willing her to come back to me. I looked back to Lindy, who was standing with a hand over her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Come back, Fate... please," I whispered my plea into her ear.

I felt Fate's arm wrap around my shoulder in response, and I immediately leaned back to see her groggy expression looking back at me. I smiled while bursting into tears again, and I kissed her lips quickly before embracing her again.

"I guess I should do that more often then, huh?" she mumbled slowly.

I squeezed her harder. "Only you would make a terrible joke at a time like this, Fate-chan."

"Nanoha, let's get her over to the couch," Lindy spoke from behind me.

I nodded, and placed my arms underneath Fate's body to lift her up, carrying her bridal style to the couch. I set her down gently, adjusting my arms around her to make her comfortable, while still holding her against me lightly.

Lindy left the living room momentarily to reenter the kitchen, and returned shortly after with a glass of water. She placed it on the coffee table as Fate made motions to sit up on the couch. We assisted her, and she slowly seemed to become oriented with her surroundings again. She eventually looked over to me and tried to give me a reassuring smile.

"Fate-chan, what happened?" I finally asked her when she seemed ready.

Fate shook her head once quickly and lowered her head, her eyes narrowed as she tried to concentrate on the memory. "It... it was like a dream," she began slowly. I reached over and found her hand, squeezing it a little in support.

"You and I were in it, but we weren't us. Well, we were, but different versions of ourselves. I could only catch glimpses of it, though. It was like... I was floating above us in a sea of white, watching us interact in the middle of it," she explained.

"Did it look like you and Nanoha, but from another time, Fate?" Lindy asked from behind me.

Fate nodded her head slowly. "Yes...Yes, now that you say that, it did feel like that. It didn't feel like us now, I don't think."

I fell backwards hard, landing in a sitting position on the floor, the pieces of the puzzle now falling further into place all around me. My tumble had alarmed Fate, as she sat up on the couch and moved to the edge towards me. "Nanoha, are you okay?" she asked me.

I looked down and laughed a little. "Fate-chan... you dissolve into thin air for thirty minutes, and then you're worried about me?" I asked, overwhelmed by her concern for my well-being.

Fate smiled at my comment, but then her face fell slowly. "I was gone for thirty minutes?" she asked, now skeptical.

Lindy nodded in confirmation. "How long did it seem like you were in the dream, Fate?"

"Five minutes, maybe?" she responded, thinking hard again.

"Fate-chan, don't press yourself too hard, okay?" I said, stopping her. "You should just rest a little bit. What do you feel like doing right now?"

"Well," she began, looking up to the ceiling. "Probably going and lying down in bed might help. As long as you come with me, Nanoha."

I paused for a moment, watching the mischievous spark I was now all too familiar with return to Fate's eyes. I laughed once, and then looked down at the floor, praying that Lindy hadn't noticed it too.

"Fate, you could have died, and you're thinking about _that_," Lindy exclaimed, noticing it perfectly well.

"Hey Lindy-san, I had to use _that _as blackmail to get her to make me breakfast this morning," I said over my shoulder.

Fate's face blushed furiously. "Did you just make a sex joke about us with my mom?" she asked quietly through clenched teeth, her eyes staring at me in a state of disbelief.

"Yeah... I think I just made a sex joke about us with your mom," I replied, my eyes equally stunned at my own comment.

Lindy laughed a little and started walking back towards the kitchen. "I'm sure you guys are pros at it already," she said playfully over her shoulder as she exited the living room.

Fate looked even more panicked, silently pointing in the direction that Lindy just left in while still looking at me. I kissed her lightly on the forehead and stood up, and then extended my hand to her with a smile.

"Come on, Fate-chan. Your mother will explain everything," I told her.

* * *

"Sorry we're late, everyone!" I announced as I walked through the clubroom door with Fate following behind me, our hands clasped tightly together.

"Nanoha! Fate!" Hayate turned and cheerfully replied. Teana, Subaru, and Ginga also turned as we entered, and after a second they all stared at our touching hands in sudden realization.

"AHHHHH!" they screamed in unison and ran over to us, giving us hugs and congratulations, all the while asking questions about how we were able to touch each other again. I asked everyone to sit down in the common area, so that I could explain what had been proposed as theories so far.

Fate and I had decided, prior to our arrival at the club meeting that day, that we wouldn't discuss her sudden disappearance with our friends, not wishing to alarm them any more than we already have. We also figured we might receive more insight on the situation through the unknowing actions of everyone around us.

I began by explaining the Nine Muses theory Lindy had proposed, as well as the idea that Fate and I may have existed before, on various timelines throughout history.

"Do you think you two are the characters in _all_ the romantic movies ever created?" Ginga asked, stunned.

I giggled. "I doubt that, it seems impossible. Who knows how many other people are out there like us, really? And whether they even realize it themselves."

Teana and Subaru turned to look at each other slowly, and then shook their heads and laughed at the notion. I watched Ginga glance up at Hayate, who was now looking at the ceiling, lost in thought about everything she had been told. Ginga looked away, and had expression I couldn't read present on her face.

"So that explains the reenactments, and what happens when you guys do them. Well, for the most part," Hayate said next. "But what about when you guys couldn't touch each other, or the thing with the pendant?"

I shook my head. "There are... still a lot of things we don't understand yet," I responded, then looked over to Fate. She just nodded in response.

Hayate smiled. "Well, do you guys feel like doing some reenactments then?" she asked us.

The whole group perked up with the idea, as we all chattered about how much we missed the fun of them after the grueling week of research we had last week.

"Excellent!" Hayate exclaimed, and stood up from her seat. "Because I had an idea this weekened - - musicals!" she announced.

Ginga panicked and stood up next to her. "Now wait a minute, Hayate, we've talked about this..." she said quickly.

"No, nothing like that, Ginga. What I mean is, scenes that are romantic that involve singing or dancing as a big part in them," she tried to reassure her. "Come on, it will be a lot of fun. I even found some clips this weekend we could do."

Hayate walked over to her backpack, and picked up a laptop bag that was lying next to it. She reached into it and pulled out a small gray laptop. She set it on the table, and we all crowded behind her to watch. She pointed the cursor over a folder on the desktop that simply read "MUSICALS!" and double-clicked it.

"I knew it!" Ginga accused her.

Hayate pouted at her. "You need to trust me more," she said, and then playfully bumped Ginga with her shoulder.

"Teana, Subaru, you're up first!" she called over her shoulder. She double-clicked the first video, and a scene from _Dirty Dancing_ began to play.

"Ah, the lift scene!" I said, now getting excited at what we were about to see. The six of us watched the first half of the scene, where the two main characters danced together on a narrow log that was perched precariously over a river. The second half of the scene involved one character trying to lift the other character high over his head.

"Why do we always get the most physical 'dates'?" Teana asked with a grimace.

"It's your destiny," Hayate replied with a wink. While Subaru and Teana reviewed the scene a few times to familiarize themselves with the dance, Fate and I found some masking tape in one of the cabinets. We began marking off an area of the floor with tape, estimating how wide the top of the log was in the scene.

"Bare feet!" instructed Hayate, and the two girls reluctantly removed their shoes and socks, placing them near the doorway.

Ginga was standing next to the laptop, ready to replay the scene again so that they could have the music in the background. Fate and I stood on one side of the taped off area, with Hayate standing on the other side. Subaru was on her mark, standing between the lines of tape, and Teana was sitting directly across from her.

"And, action!" Hayate yelled.

Subaru immediately mimicked her character from the scene, assuming on odd-looking karate position. "I saw this on _Kung Fu Panda _once," she announced with a smile. I threw my head back and laughed, while Teana simply glared at her partner. Subaru then moved her finger up and performed a 'come-hither' motion to Teana, before pointing it downward in front of her.

"No," Teana deadpanned, shaking her head.

Subaru stood straight up and walked over to Teana, grabbing her by the arm and forcing her onto her feet. She then dragged her to the middle of the taped-off section on the floor, putting the two of them into a tango dancing position. The two moved awkwardly together, but it wasn't long before they were using each other as balance and laughing hysterically as they danced.

The two moved further down the room and separated, beginning to do impromptu dance steps. Occasionally one of them would glance over at the laptop and mimic a move from the character on the screen, causing the other to laugh even harder.

The scene then switched over to the male character trying to lift the female character over his head from a standing position.

"That's pretty dangerous," Fate whispered in my ear.

I nodded. "That doesn't seem like a good idea, Hayate," I yelled out over the music.

"I agree. Subaru, go lay down on the couch, please," Hayate requested. Subaru quickly jumped over the back of the couch, landing on her back. Teana slowly followed to stand near the edge of the armrest, carefully eyeing the entire situation.

"Okay, Teana," Hayate began, but then stopped immediately when Teana turned her glare to her. "Whoa..." Hayate said, backing up.

"Don't worry, Teana! Fate-chan and I will spot you," I assured her. We both began pushing Teana closer to the couch.

"You'll be fine," Fate added. "Just crouch down on the armrest. Subaru will put her hands around your waist. You just jump up a little and Subaru will hold you above her."

I smiled at Fate behind Teana's back, impressed with her patient instructing skills, which seemed to reassure Teana. She took her position on the armrest, and Subaru placed her hands above her waist.

"One, two, three!" we said together, and Teana was lifted above Subaru, with Fate and my hands supporting Teana's outstretched arms. It was in that moment we heard two loud footsteps, and then the front door of the clubroom suddenly burst opened.

"Signum!" Ginga cried, immediately slamming the laptop lid shut. The music from the scene still continued to play, even though the lid was now closed. Ginga closed her eyes in a grimace, drumming her fingertips on the top of the lid.

Signum stared at the scene in front of her, looking a little confused but mostly angry. "Care to explain what you all are doing?" she asked slowly. I panicked as I witnessed Subaru's arms start to tremble under Teana's weight.

"If you say anything about me being heavy, I will _kill_ you, Subaru!" I heard Teana growl in a whisper next to me.

Hayate ran over to Signum. "We were um, exercising! Subaru wanted to try to bench pressing something, but we didn't have any free weights," she quickly explained.

Signum looked past Hayate, now seemingly impressed with Subaru. "How many lifts have you done so far?" she asked. Fate, Subaru, and I glanced wildly at each other, not knowing what an appropriate answer should be.

"15!" the three of us said in unison. All of our eyes then grew wider at the small miracle that had just occurred. I looked over at Hayate and Ginga, who were staring at us completely dumbfounded by our synchronized response.

"Ah, excellent! Carry on then," she said, beginning to exit. "Takamachi, please put everyone's results in your daily summary tonight." I nodded, and we all let out the breath we were holding as the clubroom door clicked closed.

Subaru immediately let her arms drop, and Teana came crashing down hard on top of her. I couldn't help but notice the Teana's and Subaru's lips met briefly during the crash. I braced myself, waiting for Teana's explosion after the occurrence.

To my surprise, Teana just stared at Subaru quietly for a moment afterward. She then calmly leaned back on the couch, her legs on either side of her partner's. Subaru pushed herself onto her elbows to look at Teana in shock, who was now looking off to the side, blushing a little bit.

"That was um, a lot of fun, Subaru," Teana finally said quietly, before looking down at her hands in embarrassment.

Subaru immediately formed a grin. "Yeah, it was, Teana," she said in return, and we all watched Subaru reach over and hold Teana's hand in hers. The four of us walked over to the whiteboard to leave them to their moment.

I uncapped one of my brand new dry-erase markers and started writing fake bench press results for everyone in the daily summary report section. Hayate was leaning against the table, her back to the couch that Teana and Subaru were seated on.

"Three...two...one..." Hayate counted slowly, and then pointed her finger up in the air.

"Shut up, Subaru!" Teana's voice screamed from behind us, right on cue.

* * *

Hayate opened up the lid to her laptop. "Ginga and I are up next," she announced, double-clicking the second video in the folder.

Two seconds into the video, Ginga reached over Hayate's shoulder and hit the stop button.

"I don't need a refresher! Let's go!" she exclaimed with her hands clasped in front her, her eyes sparkling at Hayate. I had recognized the scene when it started as well. It was from _Grease_, with "The One That I Want" as the song.

I restarted the video for them as Ginga and Hayate took their marks. Ginga strutted up to Hayate, pretending to smoke a cigarette while eyeing her suggestively.

"Sandy!" Hayate recited, speaking in unison with the character in the scene.

Ginga licked her lips in Hayate's direction. "Tell me about it... Stud..." Ginga said, now looking Hayate up and down hungrily. I rubbed the back of my neck, not quite now sure how much was just acting on Ginga's part at this point.

Hayate glanced at everyone around the room nervously, before she started singing along with the character on the screen. She took off her uniform vest and twirled it a few times in front of her, before throwing it across the room, all while moving her hips side to side. Ginga did the same, removing her sweater to reveal just her blouse underneath as well, tossing it across the room to land on top of Hayate's.

Hayate then fell to the floor in front of Ginga on cue, and Ginga stepped in front of her, pretending to put her fake cigarette out near Hayate's face. Hayate raised up, and Ginga kicked her in the shoulder playfully to push her backwards. I think she might have been too much into the scene though, as Hayate went flying on her back a few feet across the room.

Ginga immediately turned and started walking away, and Hayate recovered quickly to chase after her. When Hayate reached her, Ginga turned around and placed a hand on her shoulder, pushing her backwards again as she sang along with lyrics. As soon as Ginga turned her back to her again, Hayate was back to following her. They performed the entire song in this manner, chasing each other around the room and all over the furniture while singing.

As the song faded out, Ginga jumped onto Hayate from the couch, wrapping her legs around Hayate's waist in a very _Grease_-esqe type movement. Hayate spun her around once, laughing and bracing Ginga against her with her arms. Ginga quickly grabbed Hayate's face and kissed her, letting her lips linger on hers for a moment. After she pulled back, she noticed Hayate's stunned face staring back at her.

"Oh, um... I'm sorry, Hayate," she said, sliding off her to now stand in front of her. She then put her fingers next to her lips, lost in thought. "I think... I just got carried away with the scene was all."

Hayate was frozen in place, so I walked behind her and gently nudged her in the back to wake her up. Falling forward, she seemed to snap out of her daze.

"Right, of course. The scene..." she said quietly and nodding, before turning around and walking back towards the laptop.

I looked at Fate helplessly, who raised her eyebrows in return, indicating she didn't know what to do for our friends either. Before either of us could intervene to help ease the tension, Hayate closed the laptop lid.

"Let's take five, everyone," she said quietly before walking over to whiteboard, busying herself with writing notes about the scene that had just occurred through the whole break.

* * *

"Nanoha, your scene with Fate will be the singing scene in _A Walk to Remember. _Have you ever seen the movie, Fate?" she asked.

Fate shook her head. "No, not yet," she replied as walked towards the laptop. After a few seconds of studying the video on the screen, Fate began to stumble backwards, catching herself on a chair behind her.

"Fate-chan, what is it?" I asked, rushing to her side.

"That was in my dream," she whispered, her hand trembling as she pointed to the scene playing on the laptop.

Hayate looked at Fate, confused. "I thought you said you've never seen this movie before, Fate?"

"Who were you?" I continued to ask, leaving Hayate's question aside for a moment.

"I was the one singing, and you were the one sitting down watching me," she replied.

Ginga came to stand next to Hayate. "What dream is she talking about?" I heard her ask quietly. I looked over as Hayate shrugged and shook her head.

I paused. "Do you want to see what happens if we try to do the reenactment, Fate-chan?" I finally asked.

Fate pushed her bangs back from her forehead before moving her hand over her mouth, leaning an elbow on her knee as she thought about it. She finally nodded, even though her skin was now more pale than what I was comfortable with.

"Hayate, everyone..." I began. The other group members gathered around us, waiting to hear my new announcement. "Fate-chan and I are going to do this scene, but it's really important that we aren't interrupted, okay? Also, no matter what happens, don't try to intervene. Please."

"If this works, we'll explain everything afterward," Fate added. The girls nodded their heads and began setting up the furniture to best accommodate the scene.

"Do you want the video to play during it?" Ginga asked us.

I shook my head. "No, it won't be necessary," I replied.

"Okay, take your marks, Nanoha and Fate." Hayate pointed at the two seats we were going to sit in on the couch. She then nodded, indicating we could start at any time.

"All I know..." I began reciting to Fate, "is that you're beautiful."

* * *

_~~Chicago, 1927~~_

**Nanoha POV**

A white light briefly flashed in my eyes, and I felt my body jerk backwards in my seat, as if an invisible gust of wind had entered into my body. I looked down at myself, noticing I was now wearing pin-striped dress slacks, a button-up dress shirt, a tie and suspenders. I reached up to my hair, and felt it was now cut short and slicked back with an unknown hair product.

Sitting next to me was Fate, wearing a stunning red evening gown, her long blond hair carefully curled and setting gently across her face and shoulders. I looked past her to examine the room we were sitting in together. I instinctively knew it was a nightclub that I had once owned in a previous life, and Fate was the main lounge singer that I was madly in love with. The lights were dimmed, indicating the club was closed for the night, leaving Fate and I in the bar with only the piano player seated at his station in the room with us.

"The dream," I continued to Fate. "Help _me_ to remember," I said.

She looked down for a moment, unsure.

"Will you sing for me?" I requested softly to her.

The piano player immediately played the first notes to a song, and I watched Fate nervously take a deep breath, before she began singing the lyrics to the song meant just for me.

_(There's a song that inside of my soul/ It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again)_

_(I'm awake in the infinite cold/ But you sing to me over and over again)_

Fate's husky vocals flowed over my senses as they echoed softly across the room. I sat motionless, completely captivated by the love of my life singing in front of me. She slowly rose up from beside me to stand next to the bar across the room, as she began singing the chorus.

_(__So I lay my head back down/ And I lift my hands/ and pray to be only yours)_

_(I pray to be only yours/ I know now you're my only hope)_

She crossed back to be by my side again, her long evening gown flowing delicately around her legs, as her heels clicked softly on the wood floor. She was smiling warmly at me, her love for me shining brightly in her eyes.

_(Sing to me the song of the stars/ Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again)_

_(When it feels like my dreams are so far/ Sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again)_

Fate rose and crossed slowly in front of me, her perfume flowing around me lightly as she walked by. She now stood off to my left, and my eyes never left her smiling face as she sang the next chorus.

_(So I lay my head back down/ And I lift my hands and pray/ To be only yours)_

_(I pray to be only yours/ I know now you're my only hope)_

She crossed behind me, and I watched her carefully over my shoulder, before she made her way to be in the middle of the room.

_(I give you my destiny/ I'm giving you all of me/ I want your symphony)_

_(Singing in all that I am/ At the top of my lungs I'm giving it back)_

Her elegant back was to me, a vision I had experienced so many times before as she sang center stage, her beautiful voice touching every corner of the room.

_(So I lay my head back down/ And I lift my hands and pray/ To be only yours)_

_(I pray to be only yours/ I pray to be only yours/ I know now you're my only hope...)_

She slowly returned to sit next to me after her last verse, humming a few notes as I stared at her beautiful face. I leaned over, and as the last note of the piano struck, I kissed her softly as the scene faded to black.

* * *

_~~Present Day~~_

My body landed back on the couch, my vision restoring about a second after the black had overtaken it. I looked over to my side quickly, noticing that Fate was on the couch next to me, seemingly unharmed after our experience as well.

I turned my head to look for the other group members, and found them standing in front of us, completely motionless. They all had their hands to their mouths or cupped around their faces, openly crying.

"What did you see?" I asked them.

Ginga shook her head and swallowed hard. "I, can't..." she began, barely breathing.

Teana seemed to recover faster. "We saw them... You..." she tried to say.

"I-It was like a hologram, is the only way I can describe it," Hayate said, then clearing her throat. "It was you two from the past. You were both glowing, and even flickering a little."

"Like ghosts?" I ventured.

"No," Ginga replied, finally able to speak. "It was real. What we saw was really happening. So was the sound of the piano playing in the background."

I looked to Fate for permission to tell them about her disappearance, and she gave me an affirming nod.

"So, there's one more thing we have to tell you guys..." I began.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks to **BrokenSiLence199** for the movie recommendation. I had never seen _A Walk to Remember_ before, and I fell in love with it! Until next time ~Nissanity~


	9. Chapter 9 - Blessing in Disguise

**A/N:** I received a few requests to use _Dear John _in this story, so I dedicated most of this chapter to it. I tried to change as little as I had to in the letters to make it work, only omitting sentences that wouldn't make sense in the situation. Also, if anyone is worried about the genders of the characters in the story, I wouldn't be. It is their "souls" that are being written about here, not the physical forms they are contained in. I hope you enjoy this chapter, as I think it is my favorite of the story so far.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 9 – ****__****Blessing in Disguise**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

"How long until your mom comes home?" I asked Fate quietly, running my thumb along the soft skin on the palm of her hand.

"A couple of hours. She said she had to finish a project before work tomorrow," she replied, shifting up onto her elbow to look at me, as I lay on the bed next to her.

"A couple of hours?" I repeated. "I don't know, Fate-chan, that really wouldn't be enough time for us," I joked.

"Well, we are only going to get faster with lots and lots of practice, you know?" she said, raising her eyebrows at me expectantly.

I smiled at her. "Nyahaha, I wonder if you were this insatiable in all our lifetimes together?" I replied.

She laid her head onto my chest, now watching our fingers entwine back and forth, as we moved our hands slowly around each others. "Probably. Considering how, um... _good,_ you are at it."

I glanced down to see her blushing at her own statement. "Well, between that and my cooking, I must be the perfect wife for you then, Fate-chan."

"Well, yes..." she began. "If I end up marrying you, that is," she then teased.

"What? Who else would you marry?" I demanded.

She looked up at me, her chin now resting on my chest. "No one. It's just that, marriage is a such a big commitment, you know? A whole lifetime, really," she replied, trying to hide the smile threatening to form on her lips.

"I see..." I said slowly, my eyes narrowing at her. "So you can take my virginity thousands of times throughout the course of history, but you can't be bothered to put a simple ring on my finger? I wonder what I can't be bothered with anymore, if that's the case."

Fate quickly raised her body up and repositioned herself, her head now laying on the pillow next to mine. "Yes, I'll marry you," she said, feigning desperation.

"You'd _better_ marry me," I warned, staring intently at her. After a moment we smiled at each other, and I kissed her gently. After a few seconds though, it felt like her lips had suddenly vanished from in front of me.

I pulled back, observing Fate now with the soft glow around her, and her body beginning to fade away as it had the previous weekend. She gave a look of disappointment, and then mouthed "_I'll be back_" to me with a smile. I nodded my head in encouragement, trying to mask any sort of anxiety or fear I felt rising inside of me.

Fate brought her index and middle fingertips to her lips and kissed them, and then turned and pressed them against mine. I couldn't feel her touch, but her gesture was enough to comfort me, as I then watched her dissolve away completely in front of my eyes.

I sat up on her bed and pulled my knees up to my chest, curling into a ball while I waited for her to return. I held the ruby orb hanging near my chest with my fingertips, now absently running it along the chain, which was a habit I had picked up whenever I thought about her when I was alone.

I did not remember falling asleep in that position, but I was awoken suddenly as the bed shifted with Fate's sudden return. She had dropped back down onto the bed from a few feet in the air, directly onto her back next to me.

"Fate-chan!" I cried, immediately by her side, pushing her slightly sweaty bangs back from her forehead. She was breathing hard, her eyes wide as she frantically looked around the room. She finally saw my face, and after a few seconds she seemed to relax a bit.

"How long was I gone?" she asked, after calming down a little.

"I'm not sure," I replied honestly. "Not too long, I don't think."

She nodded, and then rubbed her eyes. "This was different than the time before," she informed me.

"How so?" I pressed.

She looked up at me. "During the first time, I stayed with that one scene and watched it from beginning to end. The one we reenacted earlier this week, you know? Well, this time, it was like everything was thrown at me at once. I didn't catch a lot of it."

"What do you remember?" I asked, hoping to help her find some insight.

"I know that... I was a soldier. A-And I went away to war. You were waiting back home for me, and we exchanged a few letters," she said, now beginning to stare at the wall beside her as she thought.

"Do you remember anything that was said in the letters at all?" I continued gently.

She closed her eyes. "There was something about the moon in one of them?" she replied tenatively.

I picked up my cell phone. "Do you mind if I text Ginga and ask her, to see if she knows the movie by chance?"

Fate nodded silently, and I quickly typed in my question to Ginga and sent the message. As I sent it, Fate sat up on the bed, her back now facing to me. "There is something else, Nanoha," I heard her say quietly.

"Yes?"

She looked over her shoulder at me. "They were there too," she said bluntly.

"'_They_'? Who are you - ?" I began, but immediately cut myself off when I realized exactly who she was talking about.

A few minutes of silence fell over us, as the enormity of her statement was allowed to sink in. If Hayate, Ginga, Teana, and Subaru had been present during this one life that Fate had just visited, it meant they had probably been with us the _entire_ time as we lived our lives, in one form or another.

"I could be wrong," Fate said, her voice indicating she was anything but mistaken about what she had seen.

I looked at my hands. "You're probably not," I replied.

I received a notification alert on my phone, signaling that I had a reply to my message from Ginga. I opened it, and then read the answer out loud.

"_Dear John,_" I told her, then laughed at myself a little for not recognizing the movie sooner. I sat up on my knees on the bed and hugged Fate from behind, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"What do you want to do, Fate-chan?" I asked softly next to her ear. "Do you want to try to reenact it? Or no?"

Fate nodded. "We should. It wouldn't have shown me that life for no other reason, right?"

"That's true. Alright, I'll let the girls know to be ready tomorrow for a reenactment after school," I said.

**oOOOo**

"There!" Fate said, pointing at the television. "Right there is where we need to start." The girls and I observed the scene in the movie where the two main characters were spending their last day together on the beach, before they had to part their separate ways for a year.

Fate and I had decided before we arrived at the clubroom that we wouldn't discuss the possibility of the other group members being involved in our previous lives, just in case Fate had been mistaken with what she saw. She and I would do our best to help them during and after the scenes, if they did end up being factors in all of it.

"Do you want to watch the rest of the movie?" Ginga asked us.

I shook my head. "We won't have to do that anymore. We are just going to relive it how it actually happened from here on out, basically. It may mirror the scenes in the movie, or it may end up being completely different."

"Do you know how many scenes you are going to end up doing?" Teana asked.

"No, not really. We figured we would just be guided through the timeline as we went," I replied.

"Are you two ready?" Hayate asked, pointing to the middle of the room, indicating it was time to start our longest reenactment to date.

I sighed, and then nodded before I slowly looked up to Fate. "_I'm going to miss you..._" I recited to her.

_**oOOOo**_

_~South Carolina, early September, 1943~_

**Nanoha POV**

Fate kissed the back of my head, as the smell of salt from the ocean invaded my senses. The sun was beating down warmly on us, although we still were needing to wear sweaters on that cool fall day. I opened my eyes, smiling as I looked down and saw her arms wrapped tightly around my waist from behind, myself positioned between her legs in front of her. I allowed her to rock me softly as we looked out at the crashing waves together.

"It's almost over..." I said quietly, almost hoping she would not hear what I had just said. Perhaps if she hadn't, it would somehow be less true.

"No, it's not almost over," she replied, her lips still pressed against my hair.

"Yes, it is," I responded quickly. "I leave tomorrow for school. And you..."

"What, me? No," she asked in my ear. "I was only drafted for twelve months. And then I'm back... Back for good, Nanoha."

I shook my head, swallow to keep from crying in front of her. "A lot could happen in twelve months, Fate-chan." I mentioned, trying to suppress any ideas of harm coming to the blond behind me.

"You think I don't know that?" she said quickly. I felt her turn her face to look at me, and I turned to meet her eyes as well. "I know that," she continued, pausing for a moment. "And I'm not afraid at all."

I remained silent, snuggling my head and body closer into her, and she kissed me lightly on the forehead.

"I promise you, it will all be over soon, okay?" she tried to reassure me. "And then I'll be back for good."

"You promise, Fate-chan?" I asked quietly, looking up and studying her face.

"I promise, Nanoha," she confirmed. I smiled, and then turned around to embrace her fully. I kissed her as she hugged me in return, allowing both of us to fall against the sand. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore was the background to the last intimate encounter we would have together, at least for the next twelve months.

_**oOOOo**_

_~South Carolina, late September, 1943~_

**Nanoha POV**

"_Dear Fate-chan,_

_Two weeks together... that's all it took. Two weeks for me to fall in love with you. Now, we have one year apart. But what's one year apart after two weeks like that together? You made me a promise. A promise I know you'll keep. So I only want one more promise from you during this time we spend apart. Tell me everything. Write it all down, Fate-chan. And that way, we will be with each other all the time, even if we aren't with each other at all. That way, before we know it, I'll see you soon."_

I finished my letter to Fate before my first lecture of the morning, anxious to finally have a way to communicate with her. I had received a simple telegram from the military earlier that morning, stating the address where I could now send her correspondence. It had been two weeks since I had said my final goodbye to her outside of her mother's house, the morning I departed for college. It was same day Fate was to report for enlistment, in response to the draft letter she had received the first day we had met.

Flashback ~ Two Weeks Prior

Fate burst out of the entrance of her home to greet me, as I stepped out of my vehicle in front of her house.

"I got your note!" I called out the her, referring to the short goodbye letter she had left on my door earlier that morning. She quickly ran over to me, hugging me tightly as she picked me up a few inches off the ground. My arms were wrapped around her neck as we embraced for a few seconds, before she lowered me back down.

"I didn't expect to see you again before you left," she said, searching my eyes happily as she smiled at me.

"Yeah, I'm headed off to school now," I replied, my face falling as I looked over her shoulder, seeing the packed military-issued canvas bags sitting on the porch. I then looked back at her. "I just wanted to make sure..." I began, but then trailed off.

"Make sure of what?" she replied, running her fingers through my hair. "I made you a promise, didn't I?"

"Yeah," I nodded, wrapping my arms loosely around her waist as she kissed my forehead again. I paused for a moment before I decided it was best that I just leave right away, before I started crying in front of her. "I'd better go," I told her.

Fate turned me around by the shoulders, and playfully pushed me into the driver's seat of the car. I laughed as she tickled me, as she was pretending to look for my seatbelt across my stomach and under my legs.

I kissed her one last time, before I turned the key in the ignition as she shut the car door beside me. I turned the car around in her front yard, pulling away from her house towards the street slowly. I immediately burst into tears as I watched her form getting smaller and smaller in my rear view mirror, and as I turned the car onto the street, she was then completely gone from my eyesight.

End Flashback

I slowly dropped the envelope in the steel public mailbox that was stationed near the front entrance of the college. I stared at the box blankly for a few moments, envisioning all the routes the letter would have to take to reach Fate, who was now half a world away. I shook my head quickly as a few tears escaped my eyes, knowing that it could be weeks, or maybe even a month, before the letter might be able to reach her.

I tucked my sweater around my body tightly as I began my journey back to my dorm room. Along the way, I prayed that Fate was safe and comfortable, wherever she happened to be in the world that cold September day.

**oOOOo**

_~Italy, mid-October, 1943~_

**Fate POV**

"_Dear Nanoha,_

_I promise. I promise I'll see you soon, then. I promise I'll write all the time. I promise I'll tell you everything. Be patient with me. It may take a while for these letters to get back to you. We've already been deployed out on a mission. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to say where exactly it is. So all I can tell you is that the place where we've been sent makes me miss America very much, and the lack of anything resembling an ocean makes me miss South Carolina. And everything around me makes me miss you. We move around a lot, so letters tend to come late and out of order. But when they do finally get here, it's a good day. Whenever they don't, it's not. But I know they will still come, I know it.__"_

I tucked my completed letter into the pocket of my camouflage jacket, before looking up at the fellow soldiers in my unit, whom I now considered the closest friends I've ever had. Subaru was looking wildly around her feet, having apparently lost something in the cargo plane we were traveling in. Teana was rolling her eyes at her hunched form, before she too bent over to assist in the search.

Ginga was asleep, her head resting against Hayate's shoulder. Hayate was looking across the plane at me silently, as she leaned against the shell of the plane. There was a silent understanding between her and I that the letter I had completed contained an important message for a very special person. Whenever I spoke to her about Nanoha, Hayate seemed to perfectly understand everything about the woman that had captivated my very being back home.

The five of us spent all of our time together, often finding ourselves sitting in silence in cargo planes and ships as we were transported all around Italy. A week after I had written the letter to Nanoha, I discovered the pilot of the transport plane that had just dropped us off was headed back to Milan next week. I handed him my letter over the roar of the engines of the plane, after I had exited through the cargo door.

"Can you get this sent for me?" I asked him, my eyes pleading for his assistance.

"Yeah, yeah," he replied quickly, taking the letter from hand.

I nodded. "Thanks. Don't lose it, alright?" I continued, near desperation.

"I got ya," he said, before turning to reenter the plane.

I stood next to the runway and watched the plane take off with my letter inside, on its long journey to South Carolina. I closed my eyes, trying to imagine how long it would take to reach Nanoha. I guessed about a month and a half to two months, based on all the channels it would need to go through. I squeezed my eyes tighter, straining to keep the tears from falling from them, which was something that would not be helpful for my friends to see in our current situation.

_**oOOOo**_

_~Italy, late-November, 1943~_

**Fate POV**

"_Dear Nanoha,_

_The good news is we've been sent somewhere new. Although I can't tell you where that is, either. The bad news is, this place actually makes me miss the old place. But, it's a full moon here tonight, which makes me think of you. Because I know no matter what I'm doing, no matter where I am - - this moon will always be the same size as yours, half a world away."_

I wrote Nanoha another letter while seated on the bench in the back of large military truck used to transport soldiers, using the moonlight as illumination. I knew she probably had not received my previous letter yet, but it was important that I continued communications with her when I could. Our unit had just been stationed in a small town near the war-ravaged city of Sicily. I knew the address Nanoha had been provided previously to send correspondence would no longer work, and I was desperate to find a new way for her to continue to write to me.

"Are you okay, Fate?" Hayate asked, watching me fold the letter into the envelope, as we swayed back and forth with the truck's movements.

"Yeah. I'm just writing Nanoha to let her know that I'm still okay," I told her. "Now that we are here, it will be a while before she can send me anything again."

Hayate nodded. "It's odd," she mentioned after a moment. "I really feel like I know her somehow, like I've met her. I've never had anything like that happen before."

"Well, if anything, you can meet her when we get back to the States," I said, smiling at the thought of her and Nanoha meeting for the first time. I then raised my thumb in the air and closed one eye, trying to steady it over the moon with my constant swaying, as the truck traveled along the bumpy dirt road.

"Something you two used to do?" she asked, before leaning back against the railing along the side of the truck.

I nodded. "Yeah. It is our way of being connected, no matter where we are in the world..."

_**oOOOo**_

_~South Carolina, Christmas Day, 1943~_

**Nanoha POV**

"_Dear Fate-chan,_

_Most nights I fall asleep worrying about you, wondering where you may be out there. Not tonight. Tonight you're here with me."_

Before I wrote my latest letter, I had been standing on the shore of the ocean, having placed my thumb in the air and steadying it over the moon. The motion had given me a sense of connection to Fate, as if she were right next to me with her thumb in the air as well. I sat down in the same spot on the beach where she and I had been three months prior, the day before we departed ways. I wrote the simple letter quickly, trying to capture the connection I felt to her at that moment, as best as possible.

I had received her last letter a few days prior, immediately noticing the original postmark on the envelope had been stamped in late October. I had been fortunate enough to find the letter in my school mailbox on the day I that supposed to return home for the holidays. I had initially read the letter as I walked through the courtyard, occasionally bumping into other people and not caring in the slightest.

I now held the well-worn envelope between my fingers as I pressed my palm to my forehead and cried, having lost track of how many tears I had shed in her absence. I looked over to the letter I had just written, now sitting next to me in the sand, and noted the one thing missing - - there was no destination address on the front of the envelope. The military had informed me that Fate had been transferred elsewhere in Italy, but they could not provide me with any information as to where she was, saying it was classified information.

"Please... know that I'm still waiting for you, Fate-chan," I plead quietly to the moon above me.

_**oOOOo**_

_~Italy, early April, 1944~_

**Fate POV**

"Oh my god, FATE! No! NO!" Ginga screamed next to me, as I then felt my body hit the ground hard, although I couldn't quite grasp why I had fallen down at the moment. I tried to move my body, but I found that I had no control over anything, not even to keep my eyes open for more than a few seconds.

"Ginga, go help Subaru and Teana secure that line!" Hayate yelled, pointing in the direction of our other unit members, who were currently engaged in combat with the enemy in our small town. We had been unexpectedly ambushed about thirty seconds prior, leaving us all scrambling for cover and hard pressed to fight back.

Ginga ran and crouched next to them behind the wall of sandbags, placing her rifle on top and attempting to take aim at the enemy as well. She yelled something to Teana and Subaru, who looked backwards, and were now both screaming as they looked over in my direction.

Hayate leaned over me, struggling to pick me up and sit me upright against the building I was laying next to. As soon as she had me upright, we were inundated with empty shell cases flying towards us, as Teana and Subaru began unloading their automatic weapons wildly across the line.

"Fate! Listen to me, Fate!" Hayate yelled in front of me. I tried to focus on her face, but it was starting to become fuzzy and my ears were slightly ringing. She patted my chest, just above the inner pocket of my jacket. "You just got that letter from Nanoha! She is still waiting for you! So, don't you give up now, okay?!"

I nodded my head to her as I began to tremble, a cold sensation suddenly overtaking my body. Hayate stood over me and began signaling to something out of my range of vision, and I felt myself slump back down to the ground, with my back still against the wall. The very last thing that came to my mind, before everything faded to black, was Nanoha's smiling face in front of me.

**oOOOo**

~_South Carolina, June 6__th__, 1944~_

**Nanoha POV**

"_Dear Fate-chan,_

_I know it's been way too long since I last wrote you. I've been staring at this blank page for the last two hours. Well, if I'm being honest, I've been staring at it for the last two months. Please forgive me for what I'm about to say, and know this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. My life without you has no meaning, and I cannot live without you."_

I listened to the radio as the stories of the battles raging in France flooded across the airwaves. I held the envelope that contained my final letter in my hand, my head on my arm resting across the table in front of me. I had not received a letter from Fate in three months, and in the beginning of April, there had been a sudden change that had overtaken me. It was a feeling as if she were suddenly gone, the invisible connection I wasn't even aware we had built together, destroyed in an instant.

I had the address the military had last provided me written on the front of the envelope, although I was certain that my letter would never reach her. I felt compelled to send it out into the world anyway, to an unknown final destination, and I awaited the arrival of our postman that day to hand it to him personally.

"_American casualties are continuing to rise as..._" I heard from the radio behind me, before I tuned it out again. If by some chance Fate was not dead by now, the chances of her making it out alive after this invasion were slim to none. I knew she had been in Italy the whole time we had written, but a transfer to France would fully explain her lack of correspondence.

The knock on the door brought me out of my assumptive thoughts, as the postman I had been expecting had finally made his arrival at my house. I walked slowly to the entrance, and carefully placed the envelope on the small table in the hallway.

"Nanoha..." I heard softly as I opened the door.

I gripped the frame of the doorway, blinking my eyes as I took in the sight of Fate in her military uniform, inexplicably standing on the porch in front of me. She had a cane in her right hand, and her body leaned to the left slightly, but otherwise she was just as I remembered.

"I see..." I began. "Are you here to keep your promise to me, Fate-chan?" I asked her after a moment, now leaning my weight fully against the doorway for support, as my knees has just buckled.

She smiled. "Yeah...I am, Nanoha. I'm back for good, and I'm even a little early in delivering on my promise," she replied, winking at me.

I bit my lip and nodded quickly while looking down, before removing myself from the doorway and throwing my arms around her neck. I was crying as I kissed her, my lips unable to press hard enough against hers in that moment. Despite her injuries, she picked me up a few inches off the ground as she kissed me just as passionately in return. Eventually she lowered me back down, and I pulled my face away from hers and searched her eyes frantically, still trying to confirm that she was indeed alive and standing in front of me.

"_Ahem,_" I heard come from behind us. I pulled back from Fate a little, not realizing that anyone had been standing behind her. There were four members of her unit standing in the front yard, all blushing a little as they tried not to stare directly at us.

Fate looked at them and nodded. "Nanoha," she said as she turned back to me, "there are some really important people I would like for you to meet..."

_**oOOOo**_

_~Present Day~_

**Nanoha POV**

"Is everyone okay?" I asked softly to the silent clubroom, after we had been deposited back into it.

No one responded or moved around me, so I sat up from my position on the ground and looked across the room. My five fellow club members were motionless, staring across the floor or up to the ceiling, undoubtedly replaying the traumatic memories of their previous lives in their heads.

Hayate was the first to rise up slowly from the floor. "So... we are all a part of this as well, then," she said quietly, mostly to herself I was sure.

I crawled over to my best friend and hugged her close to me. "Thank you, Hayate," I whispered to her, beginning to cry into her shoulder. "You were there protecting Fate-chan, when she..." I began, but was unable to finish the sentence, as I started crying harder.

"They all were," Fate said from beside me. "They all saved my life that day. Well, everyday we were over there together, really."

"This really changes everything," Teana said, looking around at all of us.

"It does," I confirmed. "Fate and I are going to continue to explore our other lives as we are directed to do so, and its inevitable that you guys will be involved as well. It's not something we can change, unfortunately."

"That's okay," Subaru responded. "It was our lives too, after all. As hard as that was to go through, I'm also really glad that we did."

"Me too," Ginga said. Hayate and Teana nodded their heads in confirmation as well.

"Well, it's getting late everyone, let's head back home. We'll talk about this more tomorrow," I said, concluding our evening together.

**oOOOo**

"Mom, we're home!" Fate yelled as we entered through the doorway of her house that evening. The previous day, I had asked permission from my parents to stay at Fate's house that night and, with a bit of Lindy's help, they agreed. I told them I had to study Greek mythology for school, and that Lindy was an expert on the subject. I was eased of some of the guilt of lying to them, as it actually was partially true in this situation.

Lindy was sitting on the couch, papers and books strewn across the coffee table. She didn't hear us when we initially came in, as she was engrossed in a large book in front of her.

"Mom?" Fate repeated, coming to kneel directly beside her.

"Oh, Fate!" she yelled in surprise. She put her hand to her heart and leaned back, closing her eyes. "You scared me half to death," she said.

"What are you up to?" Fate then asked, turning her head sideways to see what her mother had been reading.

"Fate, Nanoha," she began. "I think I have figured out some more information, although I should tell you up front, not all of it is good news."

I nodded my head. "I knew at some point we were bound for something bad to come up."

"How did it go with the others?" she asked first. "Are they involved as well?"

Fate nodded. "Yes. In that life, the five of us were in the war together, and Nanoha was waiting for me to return," she responded. I then observed her pale a little, undoubtedly remembering having been shot, and she opted to not disclose that information to her mother.

"I see..." her mother responded slowly, looking back down at the books in front of her, now a little concerned. Fate and I sat down on the furniture in front of her and waited. Lindy didn't continue to speak, as she seemed to have gotten lost again in the text in front of her, so I thought I would trying to refocus her attention.

"So, Lindy-san... the news you mentioned before?" I asked.

"Oh, yes! Right," she responded, and then pushed some papers off of a large book that was resting on the corner of the table.

"So, you remember the Nine Muses, correct?" she asked us first. We both nodded.

"Well, in all of your other lifetimes," she started, "the Muses have drawn inspiration from the memories of you two, as you have lived your lives together countless times. The Muses, in turn, have inspired artists to depict your love, and the hardships you are willing to endure to obtain it.

"The thing is, though," she continued, "the Nine Muses aren't the ones who are actually _guiding_ you together throughout each lifetime. They are but mere observers of your stories. The role to actually bring you and Fate together every time is handle by something completely different, but it does work closely with the Muses. Or, well... it _did_," she added quickly.

I stopped her for a second. "Lindy, I'm still confused. So you're saying there is something else besides the Nine Muses actually controlling our lives, then?" I asked.

Lindy nodded. "Yes, for the most part." She then reached over to the book on the edge of the coffee table, turning it around for Fate and I to read together.

"Have you two ever heard of '_The Fates_'?" she began.

* * *

**A/N:** So yes, lots of things happened this time around again! I hope that those who requested _Dear John_ are okay with me sticking with the letters part only? They were so powerful in the movie, and I liked them being the central theme around Nanoha and Fate's life during WWII. Well, until next time! ~Nissanity~


	10. Chapter 10 - Pick Your Poison (1 of 2)

**A/N:** I opted to go with a modern translation for the lines in this chapter, as I don't think I'm ready to deal with Shakespeare on a serious level in this fic lol. Oh, and some super major stuff happens in the second half of this two-part update, marking the halfway point of the story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 10 – ****__****Pick Your Poison (1 of 2)**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

"Have you two ever heard of 'The Fates'?" Lindy began.

I nodded. "The three goddesses that control destiny, right?" I responded.

"Exactly!" Lindy clapped her hands together. "They are thought to decide the course of a person's life, as well as how long their life will be. Usually, the timelines that they weave with the 'threads' of life cannot be changed, as the goddesses are infamous for being very stern and inflexible with their paths."

"So let me guess..." I began, and then glanced over at Fate nervously.

"Yes, the timeline you two are currently on is really _bleeped_ up," she informed us.

"_Bleeped_...up...?" I repeated slowly.

"My mom sometimes censors herself like that," Fate said to me. "So, what happened different on this timeline?" she then asked, turning back to Lindy.

"Well, this is all still just a theory, of course. But every other timeline before this one followed a certain pattern. You two lived, you loved, you inspired, and then you died," she stated bluntly. "But what never happened before was you two learning about your role with the Muses, or finding out about your past lives."

"Is that a bad thing?" I ventured.

"It's... probably not good, from what I've gathered," Lindy replied. "Remember that we are talking about the 'threads' of life here, invisible or not. And tangled 'threads' can make things become very messy. The more they wrap around each other, the stronger the energy starts to build around what is being entangled."

"Energy? As in electricity, maybe...?" I continued to guess.

"It's possible. The Fates probably did not anticipate you two doing these reenactments that would physically connect you to your former lives. Or I should say, they did not anticipate the connection to the past happening as it did."

Fate rubbed her forehead as she tried to grasp everything. "So that's why Nanoha and I went from just visiting a hazy world during short reenactments, to now being able to physically enter and relive our past lives? There is that much energy built around this timeline?"

Lindy nodded. "Especially now that you've added four more people, and all their 'threads', into the mix."

I put my head in my hands in terrified realization. It made perfect sense, how the club could go from acting out a few scenes here and there, to all of us reliving the past like we just had. As soon as the energy from their 'threads' were added, our abilities to reenter the past were enhanced substantially.

"But if you think about it," Lindy continued, "a lot of this energy is actually being channeled through you, Fate."

My head shot up nervously. "Wait, what do you mean? Is Fate-chan in some sort of danger?" I asked nervously.

"I would hope not," Lindy said, her breath catching momentarily before she looked down to the floor. "But think about her controlling the electricity while you couldn't, Nanoha? It's because she is the conductor and you are her insulator. And her energy is what initially connects this timeline to the past ones when she visits them, allowing you to pass freely to that world after she creates the path."

"But why me?" Fate asked quietly.

Lindy shook her head. "I don't know, sweetie. If I did know, I would tell you to stop doing whatever it is you are doing right this instant."

"So what do we do now?" I asked after a moment. "If we stop the reenactments, that should at least keep things from getting worse, right?"

"I think things are now well past anything you two can do to control it," Lindy replied. "It is more likely that The Fates will find a way to retake control of the situation."

I suddenly panicked, and began frantically reading the book in front of me regarding the three goddesses. "But, that could mean..." I said, and then made a motion in the air with my fingers of scissors snipping an imaginary 'thread'.

Fate laughed out loud. "You're pretty cute when you panic, Nanoha," she teased.

I glared at her. "Damnit Fate-chan, this is serious! _Atropos_ could come in here and cut all our 'threads' at any moment!"

"As much as I think she would love to do that, quite honestly..." Lindy began. "If that were an option, I'm sure they would have done it already. But you two are still one of the Muses' main sources of inspiration. The Fates have an obligation to try to protect you and come up with an alternate solution, if they can."

"So do we just keep reliving our past lives until something changes, then?" I wondered.

Lindy nodded. "But, there is just _one_ more thing..." she began.

I sighed but said nothing, as I waited for the next bomb to drop.

"Go ahead," Fate said calmly beside me to her mother.

"Since The Fates are not currently in control of your destinies, you may want to do everything you can to not die in another timeline," she advised us. "Just to be safe."

I nodded, and then turned to Fate. "Fate-chan, it's a good thing you didn't die when you got shot in the – oh wait, what? I did not just say that!" I tried to backtrack, seeing Lindy's face suddenly change to horror as she looked over at her daughter.

"You got shot?!" she yelled at Fate, immediately standing up and running over to her. She starting fussing over her, inspecting her body for gunshot wounds.

"Mom, it's okay. I did, but that was 70 years ago. I'm okay now, I promise," Fate tried to reassure her, and then peered over at me. "Nanoha, you almost committed suicide in our version, you know?"

Lindy now turned her horrified face to me. "How could you even _think_ of doing such a thing to yourself, Nanoha?!" she yelled even louder.

"Have you really never seen _Dear John_, Lindy-san?" I asked, still amused at her reaction of Fate being shot lifetimes ago.

"I've been a bit busy," Lindy replied casually with a shrug.

I smiled at her. "So I guess we need to warn the other girls, right?" I then asked. "To make sure they don't die, and to not let us die, either."

Lindy nodded in confirmation. "It could be nothing, but I'm trying to make sure I secure a future with my grandchildren on this timeline," she replied with a wink.

"Oh, grandchildren you say?" I began, and then turned to Fate with raised eyebrows.

Fate raised her hands up defensively. "Hey, now! Who knows how many kids I'm already having to support in all these other timelines?"

I crossed my arms. "Lindy-san, what do I expect from someone who doesn't even want to marry me?"

"Oh, now wait just a min - " Fate began, but then the volume of her voice cut out before she could finish her sentence. Her body then started to glow, and she began to fade and dissolve away once again.

"Oh, how convenient!" I yelled, rolling my eyes at her. She smirked back and stuck out her tongue at me.

I then softened my posture towards her. "_Good luck..._" I said silently to her.

She nodded back. "_I love you..._" she mouthed in return with a genuine smile.

As Fate faded away completely, I turned to Lindy. "We really need to figure out what the trigger is for that happening, if possible," I told her.

"Yes. We will have to examine what was said, and where she was, during the times it has happened before," she confirmed. Before we could continue to discuss that issue further though, we suddenly heard noises coming from inside the kitchen. Lindy and I quickly ran to the doorway, only to stop dead in our tracks.

"Fate-chan!" I exclaimed, stunned to see Fate now sitting at the dining table, opening a bottle of water in front of her. "That was fast!" I added.

She shrugged. "I didn't have to stay long because I recognized the story right away. Plus, with everyone's energy now added in, it was easier for me to exit the world when I wanted to," she told us.

"So, what did you see?" I asked. Fate froze at my question, now unwilling to look at me or Lindy.

"Romeo and Juliet..." she finally replied, nearly indecipherable.

I threw my hands up in the air. "What?! We almost all die in that story!" I yelled in frustration.

Lindy sat down next to Fate. "Girls, you must do everything in your power to avoid that reenactment," she warned us.

"And if we can't?" I asked nervously.

She paused for a moment. "Ad-lib, maybe?" was her only response.

**_oOOOo_**

"So, with all that said, we should probably avoid reenactments from here on out, if we can," I announced sadly to the group, standing in the middle of the clubroom.

Everyone silently nodded. "It is a little sad," Hayate added, "but the risk is just too great. We don't want anyone getting hurt... or worse."

"We could still do research and try to help The Fates out though, right?" Teana suggested. We all agreed that it was possible.

"Hey Fate, just out of curiosity, which movie version of Romeo and Juliet did you see?" Ginga, the eternal movie buff, asked.

"The most recent one, _Romeo + Juliet,_" Fate replied.

"Awww, that's too bad! I loved how evil Tybalt was in that one," she said, smiling. "_Turn thee, Benvolio. __And look upon thine death..._" she sneered playfully, reciting one of the character's lines.

Ginga immediately cupped her hand over her mouth in horror and squeezed her eyes shut after realizing her blunder, as our five heads shot up and stared at her in complete disbelief.

**_oOOOo_**

_~Verona, Italy, 1303, Day 1 morning~_

**Third Person POV**

Hayate drew her sword quickly as she entered the street, finding her servants battling with two unknown men. "Break it up, you fools!" she yelled at them. "And put your swords away! You don't know what you are doing!"

The four men halted their bickering momentarily at hearing her words, but did not lower their weapons. They continued to glare at each other, breathing heavily, until the two unknown men began to smirk in Hayate's direction as they looked over her shoulder.

"What?" a voice called out menacingly from behind Hayate. "You've pulled out your sword to fight with these... worthless servants?"

Hayate froze at the sound of the familiar voice, which was now just inches behind her. "Turn around Hayate, and look at the woman who's going to _kill_ you," she sneered softly into her ear.

She quickly ran forward and turned to find Ginga, who was glaring at her with a sinister grin. Ginga pulled out her sword slowly and raised it, pointing it directly at Hayate's face.

"I'm only trying to keep the peace," Hayate insisted, trying to mask her nervousness. "Either put away your sword, or use it to help me stop this fight."

"What? You take out your sword, and then talk about _peace_?" Ginga countered, narrowing her eyes at her. "I hate the word peace like I hate hell, all Takamachi's... and you."

Hayate stumbled back a step, the shock of Ginga's hate causing her to lose her balance for a moment.

"Let's go, coward!" Ginga suddenly screamed, charging forward and swinging her sword down at Hayate's head.

**_oOOOo_**

_~Verona, Italy, 1303, Day 1 evening~_

**Nanoha POV**

"What will we say is our excuse for being here?" I asked Hayate, pausing in the front doorway of the manor that she, Subaru, and I had just walked into. "Or should we enter without apologizing?"

Hayate smiled, looking around at the lavish masquerade ball in front of us. Her mask covered the black eye she had received in her scuffle with our sworn enemy, Ginga, earlier that morning. We were all wearing knight costumes, having pieced the outfits together quickly before we left my parent's home earlier.

"Let them judge us however they please. We shall give them a dance and then hit the road!" Hayate told me.

I looked at her skeptically, knowing her real intention was to stay the whole night."I don't want to dance," I said to them both.

"No, Nanoha, you've got to dance!" Subaru replied.

I shook my head. "Not me, believe me. My soul is made out of lead, and it's so heavy it keeps me stuck on the ground so I can't move."

Subaru rolled her eyes and threw her arm around my shoulders. "You're a lover! Take Cupid's wings and fly higher than the average woman."

"I have a feeling this party tonight will be the start of something bad, something that will end in my own death," I responded. I then paused, lost in thought for a moment. "Well, whoever is in charge of where my life is going can steer me wherever they want," I finally decided.

Hayate and Subaru cheered, pushing me from behind into the party. I silently walked ahead of them as I made my way to the staircase across the hall, with the two of them close behind me. They quickly attempted to strike up a conversation with a couple of the other party attendees near the stairwell.

"Welcome!" I suddenly heard call from above us, a voice coming from the stairway to my left. I recognized the woman descending the stairs as Precia Testarossa, my parent's sworn enemy and owner of the manor we were in. She was smiling at the three of us, as she did not seem to recognize our faces with the masks on.

"There was a time when I could wear a mask over my eyes and charm a lady by whispering a story in her ear," she playfully announced. "That time is gone, gone, gone. You three are welcome! Come, musicians, play your music!"

I bowed graciously to my host, and turned my vision to my left towards the dance floor. Across the hall, my eyes were immediately drawn to a girl with long, blond hair flowing down her back, who was facing away from me. Her hair was secured at the end with a ribbon, and her costume was that of an angel. Her hair rested over a pair of small wings attached to the back of her dress. She was dancing with another party attendee, who was costumed as a knight like myself.

I grabbed a servant walking by. "Who is the girl on the arm of that lucky knight over there?" I asked him, pointing across the room.

He bowed. "I do not know," he replied apologetically, and then continued walking.

I began moving around the room, my eyes never leaving her form. "_When this dance is over,_" I thought to myself as I walked, "_I'll see where she stands, and then I will touch her hand with mine._"

As I pressed my back against the pillar that was close to where she was dancing, her partner spun her around, and suddenly she was facing me. I held my breath as I studied her eyes, a deep burgundy unlike anything I had ever seen before. She saw mine in return from behind the pillar, a look of surprise and then wonder crossing her features. She was then moved away by her unsuspecting date, and they continued to dance across the hall.

"Did my heart ever love anyone before this moment?" I said to myself. "My eyes were liars, then, because I never saw true beauty before tonight."

I heard someone speak from the railing of the second floor above me. "I can tell by the voice that she is a Takamachi! Get me my sword!" a girl above me growled. I did not look up, pretending to have not heard the voice. I eavesdropped on the girl above me as she spoke again, with my eyes never leaving the blond still dancing in front of me.

"What, does this peasant dare to come here with her face covered by a mask?" she continued to sneer at my presence. "Now, by the honor of our family, I do not consider it a crime to kill her."

"Why, what's going on here, Ginga?" I heard Precia's voice then speak from above. "Why are you acting so angry?"

"Precia, that girl is a Takamachi. Our enemy!" Ginga hissed. "She's a scoundrel who has come here out of spite to mock our party."

"Is it young Nanoha?" she asked.

"That's her, that villain Nanoha," Ginga replied coldly.

"Calm down, gentle niece. Leave her alone," Precia scolded. "She carries herself with a dignified presence, and to tell you the truth, she has a reputation throughout Verona as a virtuous and well-behaved young woman." They then moved away from the railing, out of my range of hearing. I returned my attention fully to the blond in front of me, who had just stopped dancing and was now standing a few feet away from me.

I grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to me beside the pillar I was still hiding behind. She was surprised, and still facing away from me, but she leaned in so that I could speak into her ear.

"Your hand is like a holy place that mine is unworthy to visit," I said softly to her. "If you are offended by the touch of my hand, my lips are standing here instead, ready to make things better with a kiss." I raised my eyebrows slightly at her.

She smiled, biting her lower lip at my playful suggestion. "You don't give your hand enough credit," she said to me over her shoulder. "By holding my hand you show polite devotion. After all, pilgrims who visit holy lands touch the hands of the statues of saints. Holding one palm against another is like a kiss."

"Don't saints and pilgrims have lips too?" I asked, leaning in further.

"Yes," she replied, turning her face closer as well. Her eyes met mine, and I noticed her glancing down at my lips a few times. "They have lips they are supposed to _pray_ with," she said.

"Well then, my saint, let lips do what hands do. I'm praying for you to kiss me," I responded, and she held her breath in anticipation. "Please grant my prayer so my faith doesn't turn to despair," I requested.

Her eyes searched mine as she spoke. "Saints don't move, even when they grant prayers," she whispered, my lips now just inches from hers.

"Then don't move while I act out my prayer," I replied, moving my lips to meet hers. She pressed hers back into mine for a few seconds, before I pulled away from our kiss.

"Now my sin has been taken from my lips by yours," I said, my eyes studying her face.

She raised her hand, brushing her fingertips against her mouth lightly. "Then do my lips now have the sin they took from yours?" she asked quietly, one of her fingertips pulling her bottom lip down a little.

I watched her mouth carefully. "Sin from my lips? You encourage crime with your sweetness," I teased. "Give me back my sin," I said as I kissed her again, our lips lingering on each others longer this time before she gently pulled away.

"You kiss by the book," she responded, her lips still hovering over mine as she smiled.

"Madam, your mother wants to speak with you!" a voice called out loudly from the banister above us, and the blond quickly moved away from me. I looked up and noticed a red-headed girl walking down the stairs towards us.

"Who is her mother?" I asked the girl, as she grabbed the blond by the hand and was starting to usher her away from me, back up the stairs.

She paused at the top of the stairway. "Her mother is the lady of the house," she replied to me, as the blond looked back at me apologetically. "Let me tell you, the person who marries her will become very wealthy!"

"Is her last name..._Testarossa_?" I whispered to myself in shock. "This is a heavy price to pay! My life is in the hands of the enemy," I continued softly, beginning to panic.

Hayate came up from behind and grabbed me by the shoulders. "Come on, let's go. Right when things are the most fun is the best time to leave," she told me, starting to pull me towards the front door.

I walked backwards towards the exit, my eyes never leaving the blond as she was pulled by the hand across the second floor, her eyes never leaving mine as well. She and the red-head stopped, and they began to speak as they leaned over the rail to watch me leave.

"Yes, but I'm afraid I'm in more trouble than ever before," I told Hayate, before finally turning and exiting the manor.

**_oOOOo_**

**Fate POV**

I continued to watch the copper-haired girl who had just stolen my first kiss, as she was now headed towards the front door.

"Come over here, Teana," I requested to my nurse. "Who was that?" I then asked, indicating the girl with the sapphire eyes who was just about to exit the manor.

"Her name is Nanoha," Teana replied. "She's a Takamachi. She's the youngest daughter of your worst enemy."

I leaned against the rail. "The only girl I love is the daughter of the only man I hate!" I said to myself quietly. "I saw her too early without knowing who she was, and I found out who she was too late! Love is a monster for making me fall in love with my worst enemy," I concluded bitterly.

"What's this?" Teana asked me, having just heard my confession.

I shook my head. "Just a rhyme I learned from somebody I danced with at the party."

"Fate!" my mother's angry voice called out from her room behind me.

Teana began to scramble. "Right away! Come, let's go," she said, pulling me away from the banister and towards my bedroom to keep me safe.

**_oOOOo_**

_~Verona, Italy, 1303, Day 2 after midnight~_

**Nanoha POV**

I climbed over the garden wall of the manor, having just escaped from Hayate and Subaru. They were trying to lead me home, but I wanted to see the blond again, who I now realized was Fate Testarossa. I had known of her name from my father, but I had never seen her before tonight.

I leaned against the walls and hid among the shadows, as I made my way across the grounds, although I wasn't sure in what direction I would need to go to find Fate, once I reached the manor. I eventually made it to the side of the building, and looking above me I saw a balcony just off to my right.

I began to walk away from the wall when I noticed a candle flickering just inside the window of the balcony. I pushed myself back into the shadows, attempting to hide myself. I held my breath as I watched Fate enter onto the balcony and lean against the edge, looking across the manor grounds.

"But wait, what's that light in the window over there?" I said quietly to myself. "It is the east, and Fate-chan is the sun. Rise up, beautiful sun, and kill the jealous moon."

I paused as I watched Fate gently place her fingers across her cheek and her lips absently, as if lost in thought.

"Oh, I wish I was a glove on that hand," I continued in a whisper, "so that I could touch her cheek."

"Nanoha..." she suddenly said, and I froze upon hearing my name. "Why do you have to be _Nanoha_?" she said, slightly bitter. She then rose up and placed both of her hands on the rail, bracing herself against her arms. "Forget about your father and change your name. Or else, just swear you love me and I'll stop being a Testarossa."

"_Should I listen more, or should I speak now...?_" I thought to myself, still motionless in the shadows.

"What does a name mean?" she continued before I could say anything. "Nanoha would be just as perfect, even if she wasn't called Nanoha. Lose your name. Trade in your name, Nanoha, which really has nothing to do with you - - and take all of me in exchange."

"I trust your words," I finally spoke from the shadows. "Just call me your love, and I will take a new name. From now on I'll never be Nanoha again."

"Who are you?" Fate demanded, leaning over the edge of the balcony in my direction. "Why do you hide in the darkness?"

I paused. "I don't know how to tell you who I am by telling you a name. I hate my name, because my name is your enemy."

"I recognize the sound of your voice," Fate replied, her's now softening. "Aren't you Nanoha? And aren't you a Takamachi?"

"Nyahaha, I am neither of those things if you dislike them," I teased.

She leaned against the railing, turning her back to me as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Who told you how to get here to be below my bedroom?" she asked briskly. I smiled at her slightly accusatory tone.

"Love showed me the way - - the same thing that made me look for you in the first place. Love told me what to do, and I let love borrow my eyes," I told her.

She paused, thinking of the words I had just spoke. "Do you love me...? I know you'll say 'yes', and I'll believe you. But if you _swear_ you love me, you might turn out to be lying."

"Fate-chan, I swear by the sacred moon above - " I began.

She turned around quickly. "Don't swear by the moon," she interrupted. "The moon is always changing."

I paused. "Well, what should I swear by, then?" I asked, trying to be patient.

"Don't swear at all. Although you bring me joy, I can't take joy in this exchange of promises tonight. It's too crazy."

"Oh, are you going to leave me so unsatisfied then?" I asked, now pouting.

She looked in my direction skeptically. "What satisfaction could you possibly have tonight?"

I smiled. "I would be satisfied... if we made each other true promises of love and marriage."

"I pledged my love to you before you asked me too," she replied, now walking and lightly running her fingers along the railing. "But I wish I could take that promise back now."

I felt against the wall a little. "You would take it back? Why would you do that, Fate-chan?"

"Only to be generous and give it to you once more," she replied, now smiling.

"_Fate!_" a voice suddenly called out from behind her. She started to look anxious in my direction.

"I heard a noise inside," she said quickly to me. "Dear love, goodbye - - Just a minute, Teana!" she said over her shoulder. "Nanoha, stay here for a moment, I'll be back."

I watched her exit, and I put my hands to my head excitedly. "I'm afraid all this is just a dream, too sweet to be real!" I whispered to myself. I then heard Fate return to the balcony.

"If your intentions as a lover are truly honorable and you want to marry me, send me word tomorrow," she stated. "I'll send a messenger to you, and you can pass on to them where and when we are to be married."

"My soul depends on it!" I replied, elated.

"What time tomorrow should I send the messenger to you?"

"By nine o'clock."

"I won't fail," she assured me. "Good night, Nanoha. Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I'll say goodnight until tonight becomes tomorrow." She smiled one last time, and then walked back into the manor.

I stared up at the now empty balcony for a few moments. "I hope you sleep peacefully. I wish I were Sleep and Peace, so I could spend the night with you."

I then stepped out from the shadows, looking at the balcony one last time. "But for now, I shall go see the priest to ask for her help," I concluded, running across the manor grounds.

**_oOOOo_**

_~Verona, Italy, 1303, Day 2 noon~_

**Fate POV**

I was pacing in my room, awaiting the return of my nurse, Teana. I had requested that she act as messenger for me, to find out when and where I would meet Nanoha, so that we could be married. It was taking her longer to return to the manor than I had anticipated, and as every extra minute passed by, I grew more anxious.

"Wait for me outside," I heard Teana grumble from the bedroom door, before she finally entered my room. She looked worn out and a bit harried.

"Why you you look so sad?" I asked, rushing to her side.

"I'm tired. Leave me alone for a minute." Teana said grumpily. "My bones ache so much! I've been running all over the place."

I frowned a little. "I wish you had my bones, and I had your news. I beg you, Teana, speak."

"Sweet Jesus, you are in such a hurry! Can't you wait a moment?" she growled.

"Is the news good or bad?" I asked, undeterred. "Answer that question. Tell me if it's good or bad, and I'll wait for the details."

She shook her head. "Well... you have made a foolish choice. You don't know how to pick a woman. Nanoha? No, not her, although her face is more handsome than any man's. And her legs are prettier. And as for her hands, feet, and body...? They're not much to speak of, and yet, they are beyond compare."

I stared blankly at Teana, wildly perplexed at what she had just told me.

"Well, what do you want?" she asked, and then paused for a moment. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"No, I haven't had lunch yet," I replied flatly. "Everything you told me I already knew. What did she say about our marriage? What about that?"

Teana started rubbing her temples. "Lord, what a headache I have! My head is pounding. It feels like it'll break into twenty pieces. My back aches too..."

I immediately sat behind her and started massaging her back.

"Ooh, on the other side!" she instructed me, and I moved over to it. "Curse your heart for sending me running all over town. I could get sick and die."

I rolled my eyes behind her back. "Believe me, I'm sorry you're in pain. Sweet, sweet, sweet, Teana, tell me. What did my Nanoha say?"

Teana paused for a moment. "Where is your mother?" she responded.

"Where is my mother?" I repeated, perplexed. "Your answer is so strange!" I yelled at her.

"Oh God! Are you this impatient?!" she yelled back. "From now on, take care of your own messages yourself," she said, crossing her arms in a huff.

I slapped her on the back. "You're making such a fuss. Come on, what did Nanoha say?"

Teana finally conceded. "Do you have permission to go out and take confession today?" she asked.

"I do."

"Then hurry over to Friar Lindy's cell," she said. "There's a girl there who's waiting to make you her wife."

I excitedly hugged Teana from behind, before running around the room getting ready. I hugged her one last time in thanks and she groaned, trying to hide a smile.

"Go to the church," she instructed me, peeling me off of her. "I'm going to go to lunch."

**_oOOOo_**

I ran as fast as I could to the local church a few blocks away from the manor, my hands pushing the front door open quickly upon my arrival. Nanoha was standing in front of Friar Lindy, and turned to face me when I entered, smiling brightly and taking a few steps into the aisle. I ran to her, nearly knocking her over as I wrapped my arms around her tightly.

I heard Lindy's voice beside me. "Lovers are so light they can walk on a spiderweb floating on a summer breeze, and yet not fall. That's how flimsy and unreal pleasure is."

I pulled back from Nanoha a little. "Good evening," I told the friar.

Lindy bowed slightly. "Nanoha will thank you, for both of us."

"I'll give her equal thanks, so we're even," I replied, smiling at her.

Nanoha faced me, running her fingers through my hair softly. Her eyes danced at little as she looked into mine. "Fate-chan, if you're as happy as I am, and you're better with words... tell me about the happiness you imagine we'll have in our marriage," she requested.

I pulled her tighter to me, placing my forehead to hers. "I can imagine more than I can say - - I have more on my mind than words. Anyone who can count how much she has is poor. My true love has made me so rich, that I can't count even half of my wealth."

Lindy put her hands on both of our shoulders, beginning to push us in the direction of the chapel. "Come, come with me, and we'll do the job quickly. Because if you don't mind, I'm not leaving you two alone until you are united in marriage."

* * *

**A/N:** So the second half of this chapter is mostly written already, and I will be posting it as soon as it is done. See you then! ~Nissanity~


	11. Chapter 11 - Pick Your Poison (2 of 2)

**A/N:** It's the turning point in the story and I'll be honest, it's the first time I have cried a little when writing something. It's odd, since I've known from the beginning how this story was going to go, but still... Anyway, I hope no one hates me by the end of this chapter. Please know, we are back to fluffy NanoFate goodness after this one, I promise!

**Warning: **This chapter contains **violence**, as it is based on the second half of the story Romeo and Juliet. Reader **discretion** is advised.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 11 – ****__****Pick Your Poison (2 of 2)**

* * *

_~Verona, Italy, 1303, Day 2 afternoon~_

******Nanoha POV**

I left Fate at her home with her nurse, Teana, the afternoon after we were married. I was now on my way to meet with Hayate and Subaru to inform them of the news. I knew I was in for incredible amounts of teasing from the two, but I was much too excited to care. I was married to Fate, the girl I knew I was destined to be with from the first moment I saw her.

The three of us had agreed to meet on the main street of Verona, a central location for all of us. As I turned to enter the street though, I was stunned to see Ginga and a few of her servants standing in front of Hayate and Subaru. The situation looked tense, and I sensed that things were about to escalate quickly if I did not intervene.

As I was running towards the group on the street, Ginga heard my footsteps approaching and turned to look at me, her eyes filled with disdain. I could only assume it had to do with the previous night, and our uninvited arrival at the Testarossa's masquerade ball.

"Her comes my girl... the girl I'm looking for," she seethed, looking in my direction. She began to walk away from Hayate and Subaru to meet me on the street.

"She's not your 'girl'," Subaru responded heatedly from behind her.

I stopped in front of Ginga, and she began to pace back and forth in front of me, her hand resting on the butt of her sword.

"Nanoha, there is only one thing I can call you. You're a villain," she accused, pointing her finger directly at me.

I put my hands up in front of me. "Ginga, I have a reason to love you that allows me to put aside the rage I should feel, and will excuse that insult. I am no villain," I said, pointing to my chest. "So, goodbye. I can tell you that you don't know who I am."

Ginga looked me up and down. "Girl, your words can't excuse the harm you've done to me. So now turn and draw your sword," she said.

"I disagree. I've never done you harm," I responded, shaking my head. I began to walk away backwards, trying to create distance between myself and my potential attacker. "I love you more than you can understand... let me tell you the reason _why_ I love you, at least."

Subaru clenched her fists, and she was staring at me like she didn't even recognize me with my actions. She then drew her sword and held it level with the ground, pointing it straight at back of Ginga's head.

"Ginga, you rat, will you fight me instead?" she demanded, twisting her sword menacingly in front of her. Her eyes narrowed at Ginga as she waited for a response.

I observed Ginga's hand clench around the butt of her sword even tighter. "What do you want from me?" she asked her.

Subaru sensed she was stalling. "Will you... pull your sword... out of it's sheath?" she asked through clenched teeth. "Hurry up! Or I'll cut your ears with my sword before you even have yours drawn."

Ginga nodded her head, and then drew her sword in return. "I'll fight you," she confirmed, her eyes flashing with anger.

I held my hand out to my friend. "Subaru, put your sword away!" I requested desperately.

Subaru held her hands out to her sides, egging Ginga on. "Come on, Ginga! Perform your forward thrust, you _passado._"

Ginga lunged forward at Subaru with her sword, who had raised hers just in time to defend from the attack. When Ginga took a second lunge at Subaru without holding back, I knew it was time to intervene. I walked quickly in their direction, drawing my sword.

"Draw you're sword, Hayate!" I said, pointing to her with my free hand. "Let's beat down their weapons. Ginga! Subaru! We are banned from fighting in the streets of Verona. Now, stop!"

Ginga was starting to get the upper hand on Subaru, pushing her sword down close to her head as Subaru desperately tried to defend from it.

I pushed Ginga away from her, causing Subaru to fall to the ground in turn, as I then attempted to punch Ginga in the face to halt her. She ducked my fist, and as I was leaned over trying to regain my balance, I felt Ginga reach her arm under mine. I quickly turned, seeing that she had stabbed Subaru in the stomach with her sword. Subaru was pinned to the ground momentarily, until Ginga withdrew her sword.

I dropped my own weapon, and put my hands to my head roughly, my throat instantly going dry as I struggled to breath. I looked to Hayate, who was staring at Subaru on the ground with her mouth open in disbelief, her skin paled as she swayed a little.

"Let's go, Ginga!" one of her servants called from behind her. They quickly ran down the street, leaving the three of us alone.

Subaru picked her head up. "Did she get away clean?" she asked, looking down the street. She then held her hands up so that Hayate and I could lift her off the ground.

"What, aren't you hurt?" Hayate asked as Subaru stood up.

"It's just a scratch, just a scratch," she replied, holding her stomach. "But, it's enough."

I brushed Subaru's clothes off. "Have courage, my friend. The wound can't be that bad."

Subaru suddenly cringed. "I'm done for this world, I believe. Damnit!" she suddenly groaned, clenching her wound tighter. "Why did you come between us, Nanoha? She struck me from under your arm."

I suppressed tears threatening to fall. "I thought it was the right thing to do," I responded helplessly

She started breathing heavier, looking down at her wound under her hand. "Take me inside somewhere, Hayate, or I will pass out," she said, stumbling a few steps.

Before we could move Subaru anywhere else, she collapsed to the ground unconscious on the street. I picked her limp body up by the shoulders, shaking her to try to wake her up. It only took a few seconds before the life had exited her body completely in my arms. I screamed as I sobbed uncontrollably, holding her body pressed to mine. Hayate fell to her knees beside us, her fists beating at the top of her head as she yelled out Subaru's name repeatedly.

"Subaru's dead!" she screamed.

I looked down the street where Ginga had run away. I was trembling, with tears blurring my vision. "The future will be affected by today's terrible events. Today is the start of a terror that will end in the days ahead," I vowed through gritted teeth.

I closed my eyes, hugging Subaru close to me once more before laying her back down on the ground gently. I was shutting her eyes when I heard Hayate's voice above me.

"Here comes the furious Ginga back again," she stated coldly.

I looked up, my vision immediately becoming red with rage as I spotted Ginga returning down the street, strutting slowly towards us.

"She's alive and victorious, and Subaru is dead?! Enough with mercy and consideration, it's time for rage to guide my actions!" I picked up my sword from the ground and started running in her direction down the street.

"You can call me 'villain' in the way you did before! Subaru's soul is floating right above our heads," I yelled at her, pointing above us with my free hand. "She's waiting for you to keep her company on the way to heaven! Either you, or I, or both of us have to go with her!" I thrust my sword angrily in her direction as I approached her.

Ginga moved out of the way in time to miss being stabbed by me. "_You_ hung out with her here," she yelled back with her eyes blazing, "and _you're_ going to heaven with her!"

"This fight will decide who dies!" I shouted as I punched her across the jaw.

Ginga stumbled backwards but recovered, swinging her sword at my head, and missing me completely as I ducked. Her arm with the sword was now wrapped against her chest, and before she could recover I grabbed and held it there with my free hand. I screamed as I stabbed her in the stomach with my sword and twisted my hand, lifting her a few inches off the ground. Her mouth and eyes opened wide in shock, and she moaned something indecipherable. I then let her fall backwards, my sword exiting her as she hit the ground.

I froze at the sight of Ginga's dying form now lying in front of me. I blinked twice, tears falling from my eyes as my world went silent and my breathing became shallow, and I looked around slowly in a daze. I then looked down at my bloody sword, it now falling to the ground, although I didn't remember releasing it from my grasp. The sound of it hitting the street quickly ended my stupor, and I blinked quickly as I regained my surroundings.

"...ha. Nanoha!" Hayate was yelling from behind me, starting to pull me away down the street. "Get out of here! Ginga's dead. Don't just stand their shocked. You will get the death penalty if you get caught! Go!"

I looked at Ginga's body one last time, and then ran as fast as I could away from the scene, unsure of where I was headed in my escape.

**oOOOo**

_~Verona, Italy, 1303, Day 3 evening~_

**Fate POV**

"_Alright, here's the vial..._" I thought to myself first, beginning to turn the blue potion over and over in my hands, debating on whether I should drink the liquid that had been given to me by Friar Lindy earlier that day.

I had been married to Nanoha for a little more than twenty four hours, and during the time I should have been most at bliss, my life had now become unrecognizable. Nanoha had killed my cousin Ginga to avenge Subaru's death soon after our wedding yesterday afternoon, and she had been banished from Verona that evening.

"_What if this mixture doesn't work at all?_" I thought next. No, it had to work. My parents, not informed of my wedding to Nanoha, had betrothed me to Count Chrono yesterday evening, sending me to my own imprisonment as well. I had initially denied my mother's insistence on marrying the man, but her irate response to my opposition had ceased all argument.

"_What if the Friar mixed the potion to kill me?_" was a thought that seemed unlikely. There was the possibility that Friar Lindy would be embarrassed, having to marry me twice in one week to two different people. She could have tricked me by giving me poison to kill me, instead of this potion she claimed would replicate my death for forty-two hours. She was a holy woman though, and such actions were not suited for her position.

"_What if I wake before Nanoha comes to save me in my tomb?_" I then asked myself, now growing weary of my own questions in my mind. Friar Lindy was to send a letter to her in Mantua, where she had been banished, to tell her of the plan to replicate my death. She were to find and save me upon my awakening in the tomb, and I would be free of the shackles of marriage to the wretched Count Chrono, able to enjoy my life with the woman I was destined by fate to be with forever.

"_I drink to you, Nanoha..._" I finally said, letting the liquid burn down my throat as I then embraced the blackness that quickly overtook me.

**oOOOo**

_~Mantau, Italy, 1303, Day 4 afternoon~_

**Nanoha POV**

I watched as a figure walked hastily up the path towards the run-down manor I was standing in front of. I have stayed here two nights already, after my banishment from Verona for killing Ginga. I had been awaiting the arrival of a messenger I had sent, who had visited the city to retrieve a letter from the Friar, and to bring me news of Fate. I prayed that this man on the path was the one I had been waiting for, as I was struggling to keep my sanity from having no information of my new wife.

I smiled as I confirmed that it was indeed the man I had been waiting for all day, and ran to meet him along the path.

"Do you have news from Verona?" I asked, grabbing him by the shoulders joyfully. "How is my wife? Is my father well? How is Fate-chan? Nyahaha, I ask that because nothing can be wrong if she is well."

His face was sullen. "Then she is well, and nothing is wrong," he responded, his eyes betraying his words. I stopped my joyful banter and then stood still, knowing that something was gravely wrong, and waited for him to continue his message.

"Her body sleeps in the Testarossa tomb," he finally continued. "Her immortal soul lives with the angels in heaven. I saw her buried in her family's tomb, and then I came here to tell you the news."

"Is she...really - ?" I tried to speak, but failed as I stumbled backwards and fell to the ground to my knees in front of him. He tried to assist me up but I pushed him away. I curled my arms over my stomach as I doubled over, my body trying desperately to cry, but the despair keeping even my tears immobilized in my body. I wanted to scream, but I was too tensed and paralyzed to even allow a breath to enter, let alone one to exit. I crashed down onto my side, and finally the tears found their way to my eyes. I pressed my face into the dirt and gasped while I sobbed, sand mixing with my tears on my cheeks and in my mouth.

I stayed in that position for a while, the messenger patiently sitting on the porch and allowing for my grief. I then began to recover, finally sitting upright and trying to wipe the dirt off my face and out of my mouth, although I didn't care to worry too much about it. I stood up, and quickly started gathering my things from inside the house.

"I will leave here for Verona tonight," I told the messenger, who was now standing and watching my actions.

"Please, have patience..." he tried to say to me, but I cut him off with a gesture of my hand.

"Leave me to do what I do," I replied bitterly. I then turned to him as I realized something. "Don't you have a letter for me from the friar?" I asked.

He shook his head blankly. "No," he said, severing any remaining hope I may have had in the situation.

"No matter," I said quietly, before I walked to the staked horse I had rode in on to my banishment, now using it for my final return trip to Verona.

"_Well, Fate-chan,_" I thought as I motioned the horse to begin trotting, "_I'll be lying with you tonight..._"

The only question left to answer was how.

**oOOOo**

_~Verona, Italy, 1303, Day 4 late evening~_

**Nanoha POV**

I slowly entered the tomb that Fate had been laid to rest in, the vial of poison I had purchased from the apothecary a few hours prior now resting in my vest pocket. I had contemplated all the routes I could use to end my life and take my rightful place next to Fate for eternity, and a violent end did not seem fitting for the task at hand. I had recalled the poor apothecary while I was traveling back to Verona. He had been hesitant to sell me the vial of poison at first, but after producing all the money in my pocket, he quickly changed his mind.

It had not been difficult to enter the tomb, as the wrenching iron I used provided enough leverage to pry the heavy limestone covering away. The tomb itself was but a bricked-in room, one that the torch in my hand had no problem illuminating as I entered it. I saw a raised platform in the middle of the room covered by a white sheet, with the dark shadows still eclipsing it's surface - - and whatever may be laying on top of it. I was afraid to move my torch any further into the room and confirm the reality I was so desperate to deny, even in that moment.

Gathering my courage, I swung the torch so that it pointed to the middle of the room. I quickly pulled it back, once again allowing the shadows to consume Fate, who I had now confirmed was laying on the platform in the tomb, dead.

I walked slowly, my shallow, jagged breath echoing off the walls as I approached her in the center of the room. "Fate-chan?" I called out to her softly, a silly gesture but one I did anyway. Images of the night we consummated our marriage then began to trickle into my mind, as I remembered breathlessly calling out that name so many times that evening in her arms.

I set the torch in the stand near the platform, and stood over her for a moment. She looked like she was still alive, just merely sleeping really. "Fate-chan?" I tried again, and then exhaled a little at my childish attempts to still deny reality. I shook my head, and then slowly laid down next to her instead.

"My love..." I began after a moment, brushing a strand of blond hair away from her cheek with a trembling hand. "My wife! Death has not ruined your beauty," I told her, running my thumb across her cheek and lips as I cupped her face.

"You haven't been conquered! There is still red in your lips and in your cheeks," I continued, squeezing my eyes shut as new tears began to fall. I bent to gently kiss her lips once, the wetness on my face falling onto hers.

I looked past Fate's body to a bloody sheet with a form underneath. "Ginga, are you lying there in that bloody shroud? Please, forgive me... cousin," I said as I shook my head, suppressing the memories of our last violent encounter together.

I turned back to Fate's face. "Why are you still so beautiful...?" I breathed after a moment of staring in wonder at her, before I began sobbing uncontrollably again. I concluded that it was time to just end this torture for myself.

"I'll rest here forever," I told Fate, reaching into my vest pocket to retrieve the vial. "Seal with a righteous kiss the deal I have made with death forever," I said, kissing her lips one last time before removing the cap from the vial in my hand.

"Here's to my love," I whispered, and then drank the liquid in the vial. I fell backwards to lay next to Fate almost immediately, black splotches entering and exiting my vision and I turned to look at her one more time. My breathing was becoming shallow and rapid, but I was smiling.

"Thus... with a kiss... I die," I said, with Fate's face the last image I saw before the blackness overtook my life for good.

**oOOOo**

**Fate POV**

I awoke to the feeling of a single 'thread' being severed in my being. I recognized it not as one of my own, as those tended to have a yellow aura around them. As this one had been severed, it had snapped back up for just a second as the tension was released, before unwinding itself from mine completely - - and I felt traces of soft blue left in it's wake.

I sat up on the platform next to Nanoha, turning and leaning my body next to her deceased one, smiling at her face. "You made a great Romeo," I whispered to her, and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

The reenactment was over, but I wasn't ready to exit this world yet. There was still some things I had to do.

Summoning up the energy I had finally learned to harness on my initial trip to this timeline, I lifted my hand and _felt_ in the air for the 'threads' of this world, and nodded when I confirmed the answer I had been hoping for.

I then used the energy to pull Hayate and Teana in to the tomb with me from where they were still positioned in this timeline. They both froze in mid-air for a second, and then fell in heaps onto the floor.

"Ah, what the hell?" Teana groaned, pulling herself onto her knees. She looked around for a second before her eyes grew wide as they landed on Nanoha's body, and she fell backwards onto her elbows in shock.

Hayate was on her hands and knees, staring up at her best friend, her expression unreadable.

"Don't panic," I told them softly. "It's going to be okay." I then retrieved Subaru's body in the timeline and placed it next to her sisters. I was grateful they were both behind the platform, in a position where Teana and Hayate could not see them.

"What's going on, Fate?" Hayate asked, now bringing herself up to sit fully on her knees. "Why didn't we go back to our timeline?"

"We can't. Not yet, at least, " I responded. "We have a problem."

"Is it because they... died here?" Teana asked cautiously, then hanging her head down as she exhaled a breath.

"Yes." I replied. "Their 'threads' were severed in the other timeline when they died in this one."

"Wait, how did you just pull us into here like that?" Hayate suddenly asked me.

"It's just an amplified version of what you saw with the penny above my finger," I said with a shrug. "There is a lot more energy for me to use now, and I had finally figured out how to use it when I first visited here."

"So what's going to happen next?" Teana asked next.

"Well, The Fates have a plan now..." I began. I then felt an overwhelming sadness begin to creep over me, and I paused as I tried desperately to mask it from the girls in front of me.

"Okay, Fate, what's wrong?" Hayate mentioned, not buying my attempt at all.

I swallowed a few times to keep from crying so that I could continue, but it didn't work. Eventually I burst into tears, and I could only cover my face with my hands and wait until I calmed back down, which happened a few minutes later. I took a deep breath and tried again.

"The 'threads' that were severed in the other timeline can't be repaired, but they can be _replaced_," I finally informed them, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

"O-Okay...?" Teana cautiously began, but stopped and waited instead.

Hayate thought for a moment, and then pointed down to the ground. "These ones?" she asked quietly, indicating our current timeline. I nodded in confirmation, and Teana's face brightened a little.

"Oh, okay! So the three from here just get moved over and everything is good, right? Right? Yeah, no, okay, of course not..." she finished dejectedly upon seeing my face.

"'Threads' are always entwined among each other in every timeline, so they would have to replace them all at once over there," I responded.

"Wait, won't that mess up this timeline?" Hayate then asked.

"Maybe?" I replied. "But they are willing to try. Things will probably be different for us when we get back, by the way," I said, as I felt the sadness start to build up again.

"What, like we have to disband the club, or something?" Teana ventured.

I shook my head. "If they are going to do this, they are going to try to clear this all up at once. The mess with the past lives, everything getting jumbled together, just... everything."

"How will they do that?" Hayate said.

"Well, they are going to take us back in the timeline, before everything started going wrong. Before the club..." I replied.

"Will we lose our memories of it?" Teana asked, now beginning to panic.

I nodded my head. "You can't have memories of events that have never occurred."

Hayate looked around, and then stood up. "So, what? We are just going to lose everything we built together?" She was about to say something else, but Subaru and Ginga's bodies now entered into her vision. She squeezed her eyes shut and looked away, turning her back to the room.

"We don't have a choice," I told her. "I'd give up anything, including my own life, to make sure Nanoha lived again. I'm sure you two feel the exact same about Subaru and Ginga."

The two girls remained in silence for a moment, letting the weight of that statement sink in on them. Finally, Hayate turned back around. "It's going to be awful," she said quietly, wiping away a few tears. "We are enemies in this timeline."

I silently nodded, wondering what was going to happen with myself and Nanoha as well.

"They are doing it on purpose, aren't they?" Hayate said bitterly. "That's why they picked this timeline to do this with, right? Take away our memories and make us enemies, so that we won't end up being close enough to screw up the precious 'threads' again."

"Hayate, I understand that you're upset - " I tried to start.

"No, you don't, Fate!" she yelled, as she became truly angry for the first time I had ever seen since I had known her. "I love her!" she shouted, pointing in the direction of Ginga's body. "I love her so much I can't stand it. And now... Now, I'm about to lose her. I'm about to lose the woman I love, and not only that, she is going to hate me!"

Teana and I didn't say anything, allowing Hayate to calm down. Finally she looked to the ground. "Should we just go then?" she asked, resigned.

I stood up, and gave Hayate a hug. "I wanted to tell you thanks, by the way. For everything," I said to her after a moment. I wanted Hayate to hear that, before she and I returned to our timeline with the possibility of becoming enemies.

"Take care of Nanoha for me, okay?" I then asked her in a shaky voice.

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "You guys are going back as Romeo and Juliet, I'm sure you'll be just fine," she scoffed. She then looked over at Nanoha's body and grimaced slightly. I kissed Nanoha once more here, and then readied myself to have the energy leave my body for good.

"Alright guys... one last time," I announced.

* * *

**oOOOo**

**PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

Part 2

_Prologue_

**Fate POV**

"Thank you two for coming today!" the teacher said as we exited the classroom.

I stepped out into the hallway from my new classroom, and immediately looked to my left. I knew I should have simply begun walking to the right, as we had entered from the stairwell that was at that end of the hallway. Something was drawing me in the opposite direction though, and before I could understand my own actions I was walking down the hallway, passing the bulletin board across from my new classroom. I turned to the right, down the next hallway that intersected the one I was in, and walked to the door of the second classroom. My hand was on the handle before I knew it, and I slid it open slowly.

I was greeted with the sound of papers scattering, a sea of white drifting down slowly in front of me. Behind the curtain of papers, I spotted sapphire eyes. The copper-haired girl that owned them was looking at me, bewildered. It was an odd sense of deja vu, coupled with her eyes seemingly piercing right through me.

"_Who is that...?_" was the only thought I had allowed to form in my mind.

I noticed a paper flying out of her hand, making its way across the room towards me. The corner of the paper landed under the toe of my shoe. I picked the paper up and read it, seeing that it was a form to organize a club. Under the type of club it was checked _Literature_. I looked closer and spotted the person's name who had completed the form, instantly wishing I had read it incorrectly, even as I continued to stare down at it.

"Put that down," my mother told me in my ear from behind me. "We are getting out of here!"

I placed the paper on the desk beside me quickly before I turned to exit back into the hallway. I glanced at the blue-eyed girl one more time over my shoulder, who was still standing in the same spot, the expression on her face remaining unchanged.

I walked behind my mother down the hallway in silence past my new classroom, before she turned her head slightly so that I could hear her. "That form better not have said the name I think it said," was all she warned. Before we could reach the stairs to start our journey to the first floor, a teal-haired woman was ascending them in front of us.

"Ah, you must be the new student here, and her mother!" she said, smiling brightly. "My name is Lindy Harlaown, and I am the school administrator here." She extended her hand to my mother.

I watched my mother tense at the sudden intrusion in her life. "Precia," she responded, feigning politeness, and then pulled me to stand in front of her.

"And this is daughter, Fate... Fate Testarossa."

* * *

**A/N:** There were a few comments about it being weird that Nanoha was Romeo, and I could see why some might feel that way. I should say on my part, whenever I'm assigning the girls to the roles in these, I'm always trying to match up their personalities to the character in my mind. And I really could not picture Fate in that role this time, at least not when I thought about writing the scene with Romeo killing Tybalt. That is definitely White Devil territory to me, since Fate has too much of a gentle demeanor to have that level of rage come out of her. First chapter though? Its very possible that Fate could have been Romeo :)

**P/N**: So I have another assignment due for class, which I will have to complete before I update again. I also just found out I'm getting a promotion at work! Which is great, but again less time on writing. I've decided to just complete this story before revisiting anything else, since my attention is all over the place right now in my life. Yeah, I can only handle one complex fictional story at a time lol =^..^= ~Nissanity~


	12. Chapter 12 - A New Leaf

**A/N: **I couldn't help but start the next part of the story, heh. I hope that this chapter shows that things didn't _really_ restart, as many things from the first half of the story are still very much a factor in all of this

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 12 – ****__****A New Leaf**

* * *

******Third Person POV**

"_What genre should we study for the first week of the club?_" Hayate asked herself, slowly running her fingers along the spines of the books on the shelves in the library. Supernatural didn't seem right, and neither did crime or thriller.

She was nearing the end of the aisle she was on, and although she loved the smell of the ink and paper surrounding her, she hadn't really accomplished her mission. She was attempting to pick out material for the Literary Club's first meeting, which was scheduled for Monday of next week. Glancing at the clock, she realized she only had five minutes left before the school library closed.

As she turned down another aisle, two signs finally called out to her. She stood between two bookcases sitting side by side, with the sign on her left reading Greek mythology, and the sign on her right reading Classical literature.

"_Greek mythology is on the maybe list,_" Hayate thought, now turning her full attention to the section on the right. There were not a lot of books on these shelves, and the looked pretty worn and well-read. She smiled, imagining the stories of all the readers _behind_ the used books as well, which were just as interesting to her as the books themselves.

A thick, heavy brown book caught her eye, and she turned her head to read the title on the spine - -"_Large Collection of Classic Romantic Novels._" She raised her hand and pulled the book down from the shelf, noting a yellow celtic-type cross with a circle embossed on the front.

Opening it to rest on her left arm so that she could skim through it, she started flipping through the pages with her right hand. Towards the end of the book, she noticed a section of pages that were completely blank, nestled in between two other classic stories.

"_Must be a publisher error,_" she thought, turning to the very first blank page, and finding just a story title and a single line written under it. _Romeo and Juliet,_ the title read, and Hayate shook her head, not recognizing the name at all. She then read aloud the only line that was written beneath the title.

"_Romeo and Juliet saw each other from across the room..._" Hayate recited quietly. She looked at the next few pages, and spotted nothing else written.

"Well, that's just a terrible story," she whispered to herself, smiling.

She returned the book to the shelf, and picked the gray book next to it instead, without looking at the title she had chosen. She was out of time at the library, and she wanted to see if Nanoha had turned in the form to the Student Council that afternoon yet, the one that would official declare their Literary Club at school.

"_Les Miserables_ it is then," Hayate said, reading the book's title after checking it out, before exiting the library to go find Nanoha.

**oOOOo**

**Fate POV**

"Hmmm, I see. Yes... Yes, this might work..." my mother muttered to herself, staring at the monitor of her computer, as she looked up various news articles on the internet in her home office.

I glanced over her shoulder from the doorway, attempting to discover what it was that had her so enthralled, without looking obvious about it. I saw the name _Takamachi Corporation _several times on the screen and I cringed, knowing my mother's obsession with destroying the company had probably grown since this afternoon. I was sure that she had not seen the girl herself in the classroom, but she certainly was aware now that a Takamachi attended the same school I was about to transfer to.

"Fate, get over here," she commanded. I was immediately by her side, silently waiting.

She tapped the monitor several times. "Shiro and Momoko's daughter, Nanoha. She is the key," she said, and then quickly stood up from the desk chair and walked over to a filing cabinet to retrieve a manila envelope. In black marker across the front of it, the word '_EVENTS' _had been handwritten on it at an odd angle.

She looked inside the envelope first, and then emptied the contents of it onto the floor. She knelt down to them, first scanning them with her eyes, with one hand holding her hair against her shoulder. The floor was now littered with elaborate postcard invitations, and turning my head I could see they were all from previous _Takamachi Corporation_ events.

"Where is it? Where is it...?" my mother murmured, scooting the cards around underneath her. Finally, she slammed her hand down on top of one of them, and then picked it up off the floor. She then turned and faced the card to me.

"I-It's upside down..." I replied, then made a motion with my finger in a circle.

She rolled her eyes, and then flipped it over. "You will be attending this," she told me, and then shoved the card at me. I grabbed it from her, and held it in my hands to study it.

"_Takamachi Masquerade Ball, Friday April 15__th__, 8pm_ - - Masks Required"

"Won't they know who I am right away?" I asked.

My mother pointed down to the 'Masks Required' statement. "Don't worry, they won't be expecting you, so you should be fine," she said. "Bring Ginga and Teana if you are that worried about it," she added with a dismissive wave.

She sat back down at the computer and became lost in the screen again. After a few moments, I realized that she was not going to give me more any more details until I asked her further. I wasn't able to decipher what my mission was at the event from the little information she had told me.

I took a deep breath. "What do you want me to do at the ball?" I asked quietly, then averted my eyes to the ground.

My mother turned around quickly in her seat. "What do you mean, what do I want you to do? Isn't it obvious?!" I shook my head.

She stood up and crossed the room, and pulled my head up by the chin to look her in her eyes. "_You..._ are going to seduce little... Nanoha... Takamachi," she replied, pronouncing the syllables of the her last name slowly and mockingly.

My stunned face wasn't missed by my mother. "Oh, Fate, come on!" she yelled suddenly, throwing her hands up in the air. "This is the perfect opportunity for us to infiltrate the corporation from within! If you can get in the good graces of Shiro's youngest daughter, then she is more than likely to open up to you about the inner workings of their business."

I didn't say anything, and just stared down at the event invitation blankly. I was feeling sick to my stomach that I would have to deceive anyone, let alone the girl from the classroom that had occupied my thoughts for most of the afternoon since our encounter. But there was no telling my mother 'no', especially regarding her obsessive whims regarding the family feud.

"Damnit," I heard her say softly a moment later. I raised my head to look at her, and she now was pacing around a little bit. "I forgot. I forgot," she mumbled to herself.

"Yes?" I asked timidly.

Her head shot up. "You can't go to school until after the ball," she informed me. "She can't see you before then!"

I nodded my head in compliance, grateful that my mother did not know that Nanoha had already seen me in the classroom earlier. It would only irate her if she thought her plan was jeopardized in any way.

"But what about after the ball, when she finds out who I really am?" I then ventured.

My mother smirked. "I guess you will have to just work extra hard this weekend to make her fall in love with you before school on Monday, correct? Make it so that she won't have any choice but to forgive you."

Now that I had the information I needed from my mother, I quickly exited her office and made my way to my bedroom. I had been demanded countless times before to perform random tasks for my mother throughout my whole life, in relation to the feud. This request was bothering me more than usual though, and I did not wish to discuss it any further with her for now.

I grabbed my cellphone from my bedside table before I fell down on my bed. I unlocked my phone, and then pulled up a new text message screen. I selected my cousin Ginga from my contacts and sent her a text - -

"_Want to go to a Takamachi ball this Friday with me? My mom is making me... FML_"

I closed my eyes and put my cellphone on my chest, then pressed my palms hard against my eyes. Even with them closed, Nanoha's sapphire eyes still haunted me. Her expression was one that captivated me, as it seemed like I had captivated _her_ as well. I wanted to see more expressions, to see what reactions I could get from her. I was sure they would all be just as amazing as the first one I saw today.

I received an alert on my phone, signaling that I had a new text message. I laughed at Ginga's response.

"_Sure!_ W_e haven't gotten in trouble together in like a week, so I'm getting restless. I will get Teana on board._"

I felt better knowing that I least my cousin and close friend would always be there for me, when my mother was putting me through odd tasks like this. We were all transferring into a new school together, and I was excited that we would still be together like before, even if the circumstances of the transfer were not all that honorable.

We had all been expelled from our previous school last week, when my mother demanded that I break into the office that held confidential student files there. Ginga and Teana offered to go with me on the mission, thinking it would be a simple in and out job. We were supposed to collect the files of Kyouya and Miyuki Takamachi, Nanoha's older siblings, who had once attended school there. I was in the middle of picking the lock on the door when we were apprehended, resulting in our expulsions.

I quickly typed my next message in response.

"_We can't start school until Monday though, in that case. I will explain later._"

I set the cellphone back on my bedside table after I sent my response, my thoughts immediately returning to Nanoha. I had no idea how to seduce someone, and the idea alone made my cheeks blushes furiously. I had four days to figure it out before the ball, so I was going need all the help I could get from Ginga and Teana before then.

**oOOOo**

"Alright Fate, I brought a whole bunch of movies for us to study together, so that we can come up with a plan for you to seduce this 'Nanoha' girl," Ginga began. She then placed her backpack down on the coffee table in the living room, and Teana sat down next to me on the couch.

I watched Ginga open up her bag and begin to set different DVD's in front of me. "Okay, first, we have the classic _Titanic. _The movie is considered to be one of the most romantic films ever made, so I'm sure we can use a lot of ideas from it."

I picked it up and looked at the back of the case. It had been a while since I had seen the movie, but I still remembered most of the scenes from it. I thought back to the car scene where the characters had made love for the first time, and I could instantly feel my face getting hot.

"Are you thinking about the car scene?" Ginga asked, smirking at me. "It's okay, it's a great scene. One of my favorites, really."

I threw the case back on the table and picked up the next one. Teana grabbed _Titanic_, and then I watched her blush, too.

"_500 Days of Summer,_" Ginga said after looking up at the new case in my hand. "Turns out bad for him halfway, but when it is romantic, its pretty cute."

She returned to looking through her bag, but then stopped and glanced up nervously at Teana and I. She slowly took the next DVD out of the backpack and set it down carefully on the table, her eyes never leaving our faces.

"Oh, come on!" Teana yelled as Ginga removed her hand.

I felt my eyes grow wide in excitement. "I love _Twilight_," I said softly, transfixed by the cover.

"Great!" Teana said, removing the other four from her bag in a stack and setting them on the table excitedly. Teana narrowed her eyes at the movies, and then at Ginga.

Ginga pulled out the rest of the cases, and we had now added _Ghost_, _A Walk to Remember_, and _Dear John_ to the list of movies we were going to dissect and use to formulate a seduction plan for Friday night and, if all went well, into this weekend.

"Maybe we should label this new mission something?" Ginga suggested.

"How about... _Project Juliet_?" I responded.

Teana looked at me oddly. "Where did that come from?" she asked.

"Something just inspired me, I guess," I said with a shrug.

**oOOOo**

"This is going to be okay, right?" I asked Ginga and Teana in the front hallway of the mansion, looking out at the crowded masquerade ball in front of us.

"Yes, yes!" Ginga replied. "We have masks on. The event coordinator up front didn't even recognize us."

"It's not like you could back out anyway, even if you wanted to," Teana reminded me.

I nodded. "That's true. Alright, let's get started on phase one then." I pulled the folded up piece of paper from my pocket that had the _Project Juliet_ plans on it, and held it out in front of us.

I reread the first steps to them quietly. It started with me making eye contact with Nanoha as she descended the main staircase, while I looked up at her fondly, similar to a scene in _Titanic._ She would be mesmerized by me as she walked down the stairs, and I would then escort her to the food table and try to say something poetic. It would be somewhat similar to a scene in _Twilight,_ where the main character takes the girl to a candlelight dinner, and says romantic things to her to win her heart.

Ginga snatched the paper away from me. "If you're lucky enough to get through the first two steps, we will come back and revisit the others," she told me.

"Okay," I responded, and then readjusted my masquerade mask. "How is my costume? Is it on straight?" I then asked.

Teana shook her head. "We should have spent more time on our costumes, and less time on the movies. They look terrible!"

Ginga started pushing me into the party. "Come on, Fate, it's time to get started," she told me.

I led the three of us slowly through the crowd, trying to not make our predesignated location by the staircase obvious. I made it to the base of the stairwell finally, and began rolling my shoulders and turning my neck a few times to loosen up. I turned around and noticed my partners were now no longer behind me. I spotted Ginga and Teana halfway through the crowd, laughing and chatting with some unknown party attendees.

"Traitors..." I muttered under my breath, before returning my attention to the staircase to begin phase one of _Project Juliet_. I held what I considered to be my most dashing pose I could think of for a few minutes, before I grew impatient and just started looking around for Nanoha.

I looked back towards the area I had last seen my partners in the crowd, and noticed Ginga was now waving at me from across the room. She pointed to the staircase behind her, and then made little walking motions with her index and middle fingers. She finally pointed to the dance floor.

Perplexed by her hand gestures, I looked over in the direction that Ginga was now pointing. I spotted Nanoha on the dance floor, doing the waltz with a person also dressed in a knight costume.

"_Damnit, wrong staircase!_" I yelled to myself. I looked to Ginga for help, who just shrugged and turned to continue speaking with the other party attendee again.

I returned my eyes to Nanoha's location, whose back was now currently facing me as she was dancing. I began to walk in her direction, not really thinking much about our failed plans for the evening anymore. Suddenly, the only thing that became important was seeing her face again, and what new expression she had on it this evening that I could memorize.

I would hide behind other party guests whenever she was turned in my direction while she was dancing. I did not want her to see me now, so that I could enjoy watching her for a little while longer. I was almost to the dance floor when the song finished, and her partner spun her suddenly to where she was facing my direction. I ducked behind a pillar, hoping that she hadn't seen me before I had a chance to hide.

I waited a minute, and then turned back to look again in her direction.

"Hi," she said, just a few feet away from me, hugging the other side of the pillar.

I jumped back a little. "H-Hey," I responded nervously.

She paused for a moment. "Nyahaha, it really is you," she finally said, smiling as she studied my eyes behind the mask.

"You... you recognize me?" I asked, panic entering my voice.

"Yes," she said. "From the classroom earlier this week. It wasn't something I could forget, really." She moved a little closer to me along the pillar.

I moved closer to her as well, continuing to narrow the distance. "Well, not for me either. I thought about your face quite a bit. Your... expression, actually."

"My expression?" she ventured.

I raised my hand up to her mask, and slowly pulled it down and away from her face, leaving it to finally rest loosely against her neck and shoulder.

"Yes, that expression right there," I said softly. I raised my hand again, and ran my thumb across her cheek lightly. "I was curious what your skin felt like, too," I then said.

She took a quick breath when she felt my touch against her cheek, and I watched her eyes begin to dance a little as she continued to look at me.

"Was there anywhere else you were curious about?" she asked me quietly, our distance now decreasing further.

I turned my hand slightly and gently ran my fingertips over her mouth, watching her intently as she closed her eyes and parted her lips under them.

"Was that enough for you, then?" she whispered when my fingers were gone.

"Almost..." I replied, and then quickly brought my lips to hers. She put her hand behind my head as we kissed for a few seconds, before she pulled away.

She reached her other hand up to my mask and removed it before I could stop her. She studied my face closely, and I was motionless to do anything under her stare.

"Your expression is like mine now, I think," she said.

"And everything else about me?" I asked.

"Let me check again," she said as she pulled my lips back down to hers. We kissed for a few more seconds before I pulled back this time. Before I could say anything, a voice came from above us.

"Hey, wait a minute, isn't that...?" the voice said. I pulled away from Nanoha and looked to the second floor railing in a panic, spotting a girl with short brown hair and blue eyes starting down the stairs towards us. A blue-haired girl was standing at the base of the stairwell, seemingly awaiting to intercept if necessary.

"You have a lot of nerve coming here, you know," the brown-haired girl said while pointing at me, as the blue-haired girl stopped her advancements.

I felt hands on my shoulders pulling me away from Nanoha. "Come on, Fate!" Ginga shouted. "Let's go, before things get bad here!"

"Fate...?" I heard Nanoha ask as our distance grew across the room. She now had a look of sadness mixed with betrayal on her face, an expression that I already never wanted to see again.

"Testarossa scum aren't welcome here," the brown-haired girl seethed as we continued to walk to the door.

"Hayate, that's enough!" I heard Nanoha say as I lost sight of her in the sea of people, eventually exiting out the front door of the mansion behind Ginga and Teana.

**oOOOo**

"So much... for... the plan..." Teana said, her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath.

"The plan... sucked..." I replied, now lying flat on my back on the grass, breathing heavily as I looked at the night sky above me.

We all then remained silent until we caught our breaths, having just ran away from the mansion and across the enormous front grounds, eventually ending up in a park a few hundred yards away.

"You kissed her twice in five minutes!" Ginga exclaimed suddenly. "Is that even possible?!"

"Yeah, you're going to have to tell us your secret, Fate," Teana added.

I sat up, resting my arms across my knees as I stared at the ground. "It doesn't matter now, I can tell she hates me," I replied sadly, the new expression on her face now etched into my memory.

Ginga came to sit beside me. "Oh, nice, we can go from a real party to a pity party. That's great!" she joked, laughing as she pushed me with her shoulder.

Teana crossed her arms against her chest. "I didn't sit through FIVE movies of _Twilight _just to have you give up in ten minutes, Fate."

"You know what? You're right!" I replied, pounding my fist into my hand. "I've got to try again."

"That's the spirit!" Ginga replied, putting her arm around my shoulders. "We'll regroup at your house tomorrow, try to - "

"No, I mean right now," I interrupted. I then stood up from the grass and began to run back across the park in the direction of the mansion.

"Wait, no! Fate! That Hayate girl is going to kill you!" Ginga screamed after me.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take!" I yelled back at them before I exited the park.

I ran down the street alongside the mansion, trying my best to avoid any streetlights, and hiding when I saw headlights approaching. I eventually made it to a street adjacent to the one I was currently on. It was less illuminated, and gave me better access to the walls of the grounds.

I ran directly towards the stone wall and tried to scale it, first by placing my hands on top of the wall, and then pushing my foot into it halfway up. Before I could pull myself up though, my foot slipped and I came crashing down. I tried to jump up to grab the top of the wall a few times again, but without a running start, I was just bobbing up and down aimlessly.

I looked over and noticed a large plastic trash bin sitting on the curb, so I ran to it and wheeled it to the side of the wall. I jumped on the top of it, and stood up unsteadily as it wobbled below me. As I jumped up, the lid caved in under my weight, altering my trajectory over the wall. I came crashing down on my side awkwardly onto the grass inside the mansion grounds.

Hoping no one had seen my ungraceful entrance, I quickly crawled over to a large tree and hid behind the trunk. I rested there for a moment, trying to gauge the distance to the mansion from my location. I noticed this side of the mansion had two large french doors on the second floor, each with their own balcony attached. I figured I would start my search for Nanoha with the one closest to me.

I ran hunched over across the grounds, but since I wasn't attempting to conceal myself in any way, it probably wasn't necessary. I eventually made it to the side of the mansion and threw myself against the wall as quick as could, hitting it a bit harder than I had anticipated.

"Ow!" I hissed and rubbed the back of my head, glaring at the wall behind me. I then looked to my right and noticed latticework on the side of the wall leading up to the balcony. I began to climb it, but about halfway up, a light came on behind the doors leading out to the balcony. I tried to press myself as flat as I could against the wall, and then froze as I heard the door open and someone walk outside.

"_Nanoha!_" I thought excitedly as I saw her walk out onto the balcony above me.

She leaned over the railing in front to look at the grounds below, as if searching to see where any noise might have come from. Seeing nothing, she paused at the railing, drumming her fingers on it.

"Fate-chan..." she suddenly said, now looking up towards the moon. My eyes grew wide at her sudden calling of my name, but then I felt myself smile a little as I waited for her to say something else.

"Fate-chan... what the _f*ck_ was that all about?!" she suddenly yelled. I grimaced a little, gripping my hands tighter against the latticework.

"Why would you do that?" she continued to speak to herself, frustration clear in her voice. "Why would you... pretend to like me?" Her voice grew softer at the end, with sadness now present in it.

I contemplated whether I should let her know I was there or not, wanting to tell her that she was mistaken about my intentions.

"Why did you have to be _her_ daughter?" she continued bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I wouldn't be... if I had a choice in the matter." I said up in her direction.

I watched her lean over the side railing, and look down at me still perched against the wall. She paused for a moment, and then knelt down and leaned her head and shoulders through the railing, hugging the pillar-shaped rail to her chest.

"We have to stop meeting like this," she joked, indicating her current position against the mini-pillar. I laughed and adjusted the grips on my hands and feet. She then looked intently at me, her smile fading as a hint of sadness seemed to appear.

"I wasn't pretending, by the way," I told her after a moment. "I really do like you."

She continued to look at me, not saying anything in response. She was silently assessing me, gauging whether I was telling the truth or not.

"Okay," she finally said, and I could tell she really believed me.

"But things aren't that simple, either," I then told her.

She nodded. "How could they be, really? We are supposed to hate each other," she responded.

I shook my head. "No. See, you are supposed to hate me, and I am supposed to pretend to love you," I told her.

She narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"

I sighed, not wanting to get into the course of actions I took leading up to this moment, as I was afraid it would only hurt her unnecessarily. "It means... that nothing good can come of this."

"You broke into the mansion walls and climbed halfway up my house just to end this before it even started?" she asked sarcastically.

"W-Well, no. That wasn't my first intention... when coming here," I stammered.

She raised her eyebrows at me. "Fate-chan, I have known you for _fifteen_ minutes, and you've already kissed me twice in the first five of them. I think we could slow down a minute."

"No, Nanoha! Not _that_," I said, blushing furiously. Suddenly my foot slipped out from under me, and I caught myself and recovered. "I wanted to tell you that no matter what happens, I do like you. And if I could be with you, I would."

She nodded slowly. "I see. Well, what is going to happen?"

"You'll find out on Monday," I replied. "Honestly, I don't quite know what will happen myself, so I can't tell you for sure. I just think our roles are set here, and we are going to have to act them out in order to maintain a semblance of peace between our families."

"I understand, Fate-chan," she told me. "I won't take anything that happens personally, if you don't either." She then paused. "I would shake your hand to seal the deal, but I'm afraid you would probably just fall and kill yourself."

I smiled, and then climbed up the few extra feet to be level with her face. "I guess that only leaves one last option then," I replied, leaning in closer to her.

She rolled her eyes before she leaned in also. "_Three_ kisses, Fate-chan!" she said with a laugh before her lips met mine. She then shook her head as she pulled away. "It's probably a good thing we aren't dating, I don't know how much I could hold back with you."

"Well, nobody said you _had_ to hold - " I began.

"Nope!" she interrupted, pulling back away from the railing and standing up. "Goodnight, Fate-chan," she replied, then walked back into the mansion.

I climbed down from the side of the wall, jogging while still looking up at the balcony behind me. Nanoha then exited onto the balcony again and I stopped. "Fate-chan?" she sang sweetly out to me.

"Yes?" I called back as lightly.

She leaned against the railing. "Don't push your luck on Monday. You don't want to see me angry."

My face fell. "O-Okay!" I tried to respond bravely.

She giggled one last time, before returning to the mansion for good. I smiled a few seconds longer at the empty balcony before running back across the grounds.

"_Now, what am I going to tell mother?_" I asked myself, as I easily scaled the mansion wall and started running home.

**oOOOo**

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Hayate called out across the courtyard, as she spotted me, Ginga, and Teana arriving on campus for our first day of school on Monday. Nanoha and the blue-haired girl turned around as well as we approached them.

"Well, it's nice seeing you again, _Hayate_," Ginga replied sarcastically.

The blue-haired girl seemed like she wanted to take a step forward towards us, but Nanoha stopped her. "None of that, Subaru," she said.

"I'm surprised a bunch of juvenile delinquents could get in to this school, quite honestly," Hayate continued.

"Hey, just because you have a stick up your - " Teana began to yell.

"Whoa, calm down, Teana," I told her.

"_Takamachi!_" a voice suddenly yelled from behind me. Before I could turn around, a woman with pink-hair jogged past me to stand in front of Nanoha and Hayate.

"Signum!" Hayate cried.

"Hey, the Student Council just gave this back to me," she said, passing Nanoha a piece of paper. "They said the rules have changed for club membership. You have to have at least six members to finalize the club."

Hayate took the paper from Nanoha. "Six? Why six? Can't you do something as our club advisor?" she asked.

Signum shook her head. She then noticed us standing in front of her. "Who's this? Are they new?"

I bowed slightly. "Yes, it is our first day today. We just transferred in," I replied.

Signum pointed casually at us. "Ask them then," she told Nanoha. "They're new. I'm sure they aren't in any clubs yet."

Hayate looked up at Signum. "They are '_Testarossa's_', Auntie."

Signum's eyes narrowed at us. "I see..." she began, but before she could say anything else her phone rang. "Hang on," she told us.

"Hello...? Yes...? Well, I'm helping Hayate now... Her club was denied, they needed more members..."

I watched Nanoha's face carefully. She was pretending to listen to Signum's conversation, but I could tell she was disappointed about the club and was trying to hide it, and the expression on her face was too much for me to bear. I walked over to Hayate and took the paper out of her hand.

"Hey!" she started to say.

I wrote my name down on the fourth line and handed it back to Nanoha. She stared at me for a moment, and then nodded and looked to the ground. I could tell she was trying not to cry in front of everyone.

"Sorry, Fate, I cannot be in a club with _that_ one over there," Ginga said, indicating to Hayate.

Before Hayate could respond, Signum hung up the phone. "Sign them up," she said, pointing to Ginga and Teana.

"What? Why?!" Hayate asked heated.

"Seriously, sign them up," Signum repeated. "Shamal said so."

Hayate paused and took a step back, peering at Signum. She then grabbed the paper out of Nanoha's hand and walked over to Ginga.

"Look, I said I - " Ginga tried to say to her.

"Just do it," Hayate responded, and for the first time her voice wasn't as harsh as it normally was. Ginga paused for a moment to look at her, and then signed the form. Teana signed the form quickly after, and handed it back to Signum, who then folded in half.

"I don't want a lot of trouble over this," she said, looking over at me, Ginga, and Teana. We didn't say anything in response, because we knew that it wasn't a promise we could make. She then grunted and walked away from us.

"What kind of club is it?" Teana asked.

"It's a Literary Club. We analyze books, read plays," Nanoha replied. "We are thinking of doing a few reenactments each week, too."

"Reading?" Ginga groaned.

"Why am I not surprised?" Hayate replied.

"Alright, we all need to get to class," Nanoha said, halting any further arguments. "Fate-chan, I'll find you at lunch and show you where the clubroom is, okay?"

I nodded, and the two groups were now having to the cross paths and walk past each other to get to class. I saw Ginga and Hayate glare at each other fiercely, even bumping shoulders as the passed. Subaru and Teana avoided each other like plague as Teana rolled her eyes at her, and Subaru looked a little wounded.

Nanoha looked me up and down as she approached, licking her lips a little as she walked past me, and I felt her hand brush against mine for a second, before she continued on towards her class.

I stood in the middle of the courtyard and hung my head. "This is going to be so much harder than I thought," I said to myself.

* * *

**A/N:** So yep, Fate is now Romeo! Just in case it's still fuzzy for anyone, the original story of Romeo and Juliet was destroyed when the threads were removed from that timeline, so the Muses are using this timeline to try to rewrite it. But things are already getting screwed up in the story, and that's what makes it so fun. Well, until next time! ~Nissanity~


	13. Chapter 13 - Mission in Life

**A/N: **I had to take a few days off from updating to do some school work, but I'm back! Thanks to all the new awesome reviews and follows. I personally like this chapter a lot, because I'm now exploring the characters more in-depth it feels like. They are no longer mimicking their past lives in love, but actually creating their own stories this time, and things aren't always so simple when they have to make their own decisions and fight their own battles. Does that make sense? I hope so :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 13 – ****__****Mission in Life**

* * *

******Fate POV**

"_Faaatteeeee_... Pssst, Fate, come here!"

I stopped along the path of the courtyard as I heard my mother's voice calling from behind one of the trees, on my way to the cafeteria. I glanced around quickly to see if anyone else had noticed, before ducking behind the tree as best as could beside her.

"Mother, what are you doing here? I'm on my way to go meet someone for lunch," I told her nervously, knowing she probably had some insane idea for me to partake in this time.

My mother reached down to some paper grocery bags that were near her feet. "You will just have to cancel your lunch plans with whoever, because we have more important things to do. You are going to find Nanoha and you are going to win her over already."

"But it's not that simple. She flat out rejected me before," I lied. I had tried to convince my mother the night of the masquerade ball that Nanoha was not interested in me romantically in any way, to get her to drop the subject. Unfortunately it did not sway my mother, as she seemed more determined now to get the two of us together.

My mother open up the bags and started handing me items. "Here - - Flowers... A dozen roses... Some chocolates, and one stuffed animal."

I held the items in my hands and arms timidly. "Okay, now what?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Isn't it obvious?!" she asked. I shook my head no.

"You are going to propose to her!" my mother exclaimed.

I nearly dropped the items. "But, here?! At school? All the students will see me!"

My mother gave me a look that warned me that the issue was non-negotiable.

I resigned. "What happens if she says no?" I asked.

"She won't," my mother explained. "Women cannot resist elaborate declarations of love."

I paused and took a breath, wishing that Ginga and Teana were here for moral support. I peered around the tree trunk, looking at the students walking around the campus during lunchtime. I finally spotted Nanoha across the courtyard, walking by herself along the center path.

Summoning up my courage, I exited from the tree and placed the items behind my back. I walked quickly over to her, aware that students were beginning to stop behind me when they saw what I was carrying.

"Fate-chan!" Nanoha began excitedly when she saw me. "Are you ready for me to show you where the club... room..." she trailed off, as I slowly brought the items out in front of me. She then raised her eyebrows. "Well, this is certainly different," she finally said.

I grimaced, and then bent down on one knee. "Nanoha... will you _merhp brh..._?" I asked her, mumbling the last few words.

Nanoha dropped her bag from her shoulder onto the ground, stunned. "Did you just... ask me to...?" She paused. "We really need to discuss your pace regarding relationships, Fate-chan," she teased.

I nodded in agreement. "Nanoha, without being obvious, can you look over my left shoulder towards the rows of trees?" I then requested.

Nanoha did as instructed, pretending to look around at our classmates first, who were all standing around and staring at us at this point. Finally she asked, "Fate-chan, why is your mother staring at us through a pair of binoculars?"

I slowly began to stand up. "I'll explain later if you play along, okay?" Nanoha nodded her head in agreement.

"Okay, can you to pretend to reject me? Do something physical and obvious that shows tha – _oopfh_!" I tried to say, before Nanoha grabbed me by the shoulders and quickly kneed me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. She held me up in her arms as I collapsed, and then began laughing a little.

"Oh my god, Fate-chan! I didn't mean to do it that hard!" she cried, giggling nervously in my ear.

I groaned and caught my breath. "You did warn me not to make you mad," I said jokingly.

She let me fall to the ground. "That's true," she replied. "Okay, I'm leaving now. Good luck."

Nanoha walked away, but as I was picking myself up off the sidewalk, I heard her walk back. "I'm taking this, by the way," she informed me, picking up the stuffed teddy bear before walking down the path again.

I stood up and walked slowly back hunched over to my mother behind the tree, with the flowers and chocolates still in my hands. "See?" I told her.

She nodded, her eyes still on Nanoha who was continuing on the path. My mother grabbed the box of chocolates from me and opened them.

"She really is a tough one. Definitely Shiro's daughter," she mused, biting into one of the chocolates as we both watched her walk away.

"_Ahem!_" a voice came from behind us. My mother and I whipped around, both of us hiding the roses and chocolates behind our backs.

"Lindy-san!" I cried, surprised to see the school administrator standing behind us.

"Fate... Precia..." she began, her face showing a bit of annoyance but mostly amusement. "Could I have a moment with you two in my office?" she asked.

My mother took a step back, and then turned to look at me in pretend shock.

"What did you do, Fate?!" my mother cried, feigning innocence. I narrowed my eyes at her but said nothing.

"Follow me, please," Lindy requested.

**oOOOo**

My mother and I sat in silence in Lindy's office, waiting for her to come in as she spoke to the secretary outside. She finally entered, and sat in her chair in front of us. She clasped her hands and place them on her desk, giving us each a disconcerting look.

I saw my mother shift uncomfortably in her chair. "Fate," she whispered. I looked over, and she motioned with her heard towards Lindy.

I peered my eyes and shook my head quickly, but then sighed in defeat. I turned back to Lindy, slowly placing the flowers on her desk as a peace offering.

Lindy pretended to ignore the flowers on the desk. "Fate, I know it is your first day here at this school, but generally students should not propose to other students in the middle of lunch," she informed me. "It tends to... cause problems, as you can imagine."

I nodded my head in agreement and said nothing.

"And Precia, it is fine if you would like to visit with your daughter at school," she continued, now looking at my mother. "But if you wish to do so, you have to check in with the front office first. Please?"

My mother nodded her head in agreement and said nothing.

Lindy stood up from her desk and walked behind us, and I heard water running from the sink in her office. I turned around and saw her filling up a vase full of water.

"So, Fate," she continued after a moment. "I couldn't help but notice it was Nanoha Takamachi that you were confessing to?"

"Yes?" I replied timidly, looking to my mother for support. She was too busy watching Lindy at the sink to notice me.

"You will have to forgive the intrusion, but I was under the assumption that the Takamachi's and the Testarossa's were not fans of each other?" Lindy then walked back and placed the vase of water on the shelf behind her desk.

"We are not!" my mother replied bitterly. "They are a disgraceful family, too blinded by their own greed to see the suffering that they cause in this world for others."

Lindy seemed taken aback for a moment by my mother's scornful words, before she took the flowers from the table and started unwrapping the plastic from around them.

"I'm not aware of the circumstances behind the family feud," she began, "but I will tell you that Nanoha is one of the top students here at our institution. And on a personal note, I am very fond of her as a person. She is thoughtful, kind, and fair to everyone around her. If you knew her, I think you would agree with me."

I watched my mother's hands grip the armrests. She seemed to be trying to control her anger, as if she was struggling to believe what Lindy had just said about her sworn enemy's daughter. Lindy then turned to me.

"I expect you to respect Nanoha," she told me sternly. "And to not involve her in any elaborate schemes to get back at her father. Am I clear, Fate?"

I looked to my mother, understanding that Lindy's words were really meant for her and not me. I was willing to take the harsh words, if it meant protecting Nanoha in any way possible. My mother was looking away at the floor in bitter defeat.

"I understand, Lindy-san. No more involving Nanoha," I confirmed.

"Excellent! Well, I'm sure you would like to get back to your classroom, as lunch is almost over for you Fate," she then told me. I nodded, feeling a little depressed that I didn't have a chance to eat before I would have to return to class for the afternoon.

My mother and I left Lindy's office silently, and exited the front of the building into the courtyard. I was walking behind my mother, who was heading for the front entrance to the school. She suddenly stopped, and then turned her head over her shoulder so she that I could hear her.

"We'll leave Nanoha out of this," she conceded. "But don't think your missions are over with Shiro, Fate." She then began walking again, leaving me in the middle of the courtyard. I paused, and then began grinning broadly at the thought that Nanoha would be safe from my mother, at least for now.

I ran back to my classroom, seeing that I only had just a few more minutes before class started. As I approached my desk, I spotted a plastic-wrapped cafeteria sandwich and a carton of milk sitting on top of it. Perplexed, I picked up the sandwich and saw a note written on notebook paper underneath it.

"_Saw you got caught by Lindy. Figured you might need this._" it read. "_P.S. The meeting is in room 208 - - Nanoha._"

Ginga came rushing over to me from the other side of the classroom. "Fate! I tried to get over to you to help earlier. But then I saw Nanoha knee you in the stomach, so I figured everything was okay," she joked.

"Thanks, Ginga," I replied, unwrapping the sandwich and taking a bite. "Yep... everything was perfect."

**oOOOo**

"Are you sure we have to do this?" Ginga asked Teana and I, standing in front of the door of our new clubroom.

"It won't be so bad," I replied. "Well, that's probably a lie, but we will have to make it work."

I pushed open the clubroom door and we were surprised to find only Subaru inside the room.

"Hi!" Subaru said nervously with a smile.

"Hey," I replied, smiling at her in return.

"Um, Nanoha had cleaning duties so she will be a little late. And I'm not sure where Hayate is," she informed us.

Teana eyed Subaru. "You could have said hi to me in class earlier, you know?" she told her, crossing her arms.

Subaru's face lit up. "Really?! I mean, yeah I didn't... want to..." she trailed off.

"We aren't looking for a fight with you guys," Ginga spoke up. "Even though we all get dragged into this by our parents, we don't mean anything personally on our end."

Without warning, the clubroom door opened and Hayate entered in quickly. She slammed the door behind her, and made a beeline in my direction.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?!" she asked me, her face close to mine.

Ginga immediately tried to step in between the two of us. "What is wrong with you, Hayate! It's like you just have to cause problems or something."

"I have to cause problems?!" she replied, becoming more heated. "You guys come to _our_ school, involve Nanoha in some sick plot with _her_ mother," she pointed to me, "and then I'm the bad guy!"

"We aren't the bad guys!" Teana replied.

Ginga finally pushed Hayate back from me, and stared at her, their faces just inches from each other. "Takamachi's think that are so high and mighty! They think they can just do no wrong. I bet Shiro hasn't even told you the truth about what really happened with the accident!"

"That's enough!" I finally shouted. "Ginga, it's fine. Hayate is just protecting Nanoha. I don't blame her; I would do the same thing in her situation."

Subaru raised her hand. "What do you mean by the 'truth about what really happened with the accident'?"

"It's not up for discussion," I responded flatly.

At that moment, the clubroom door opened and Nanoha walked in, and we were all silent. I could tell she sensed the tension, and looked pained about what she should.

"Nanoha, don't worry, we were just resolving some issues," I reassured her. "We _all_ want to make this work." I stressed the word all, looking at both Hayate and Ginga. They both looked down and away at the floor, but nodded.

Nanoha looked around nervously, and then back at me. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," I responded, giving her a hug. "It's important to all of us."

She hugged me in return. "Thank you, Fate-chan." She then pulled away to look at everyone else in the room, wiping a few tears quickly from her eyes. "Thank you, everyone."

Everyone smiled, genuinely happy that Nanoha looked relieved, and in silent agreement that we were going to make this work for her sake. I smiled to myself, thinking of how true Lindy's words were about Nanoha this afternoon.

"Hey, this is pretty nice," Ginga commented, looking around the room as we all sat down in a common area in the middle of the room. Subaru and Teana took the couch, I took the loveseat with Nanoha, and Ginga sat in the armchair. Hayate stood in the front to lead the meeting.

"Thanks," Hayate replied, not looking up from her paper in front of her. "Nanoha, Subaru, and I worked really hard on it."

"Thank you for allowing us in your club," I told her. "We'll do our best to be good members for it."

Hayate paused and looked up from her paper at me, but said nothing. I knew she was feeling very conflicted between what I was doing for my mother regarding our parents feud, and what I was saying to her now. I didn't blame her, really. I would probably be skeptical too, in her situation.

"I picked out the first book for the inaugural week. Or well, it picked me," Hayate then announced with a small smile, holding up a copy of _Les Miserables_. I then remembered Ginga talking about the characters and plot before, but I had never read it or had seen any of the films.

"Really?!" Ginga suddenly exclaimed, now having trouble staying still in her chair. "Did you guys see the most recent movie version that came out? It was beautiful!"

We all shook our heads no. Ginga slumped back in her armchair, pouting a little at us but still smiling.

"Because this is such a long book," Hayate continued, "Nanoha and I came up with a plan today, to tackle this as a group."

"Y-Yeah," Nanoha continued, suddenly looking away and embarrassed. "We were thinking of breaking it up into sections. Fate-chan and I would cover the second part of the book, regarding Marius and Cosette." I saw Ginga smile in my direction with Nanoha's comment, but she didn't say anything.

"What about everyone else?" Ginga then asked.

"Well, Subaru and I would do the beginning section having a lot to do with Valjean and Javert," Hayate told Ginga. "You and Teana would do the ending section, dealing with the deaths and suicide of the characters."

"Wait, but Javert is my favorite character!" Ginga replied. "And the beginning sections are the best between him and Valjean!"

"Why is Javert your favorite character?" Subaru asked.

"Because," Ginga began, "his unrequited love for the main character is so intense, it literally drives him insane and consumes his life. It's fascinating."

"Love?" Hayate replied, confused. "He is certainly obsessed with him... But calling it - "

"It is exactly that. He is in love with him, but he doesn't understand it," Ginga replied. "Love isn't always about happy endings. It can manifest itself badly when it is unobtainable. Sometimes, it causes you to act in ways you would never dream of to the person you love. Love can even present itself as hate, if the person feels like there is no other choice in the matter, or if they feel for some reason that they shouldn't love them."

I looked back at Hayate, who had dropped the paper in her hand and was now staring at Ginga, her expression unreadable.

"_Why...?_" Hayate suddenly asked in a quiet voice after a moment. No one said anything, unsure what she meant or how to respond. She then turned to look down and away from Ginga, staring towards the floor and lost in thought.

"Hayate...?" Nanoha began.

"Nanoha, I'm um... I am not feeling so great actually," Hayate said, her voice shaking. "I think I'm going to just head on home. I'll be back tomorrow." Hayate then tried to give us all a weak smile, before picking up her backpack and heading for the clubroom door.

We all sat in stunned silence as we heard the door click behind Hayate. Then, much to everyone's surprise, Ginga grabbed her bag and ran out after Hayate without saying a word to us.

"I-Is that okay?" Subaru asked in a panicked voice, looking ready to jump up from the couch and start sprinting after them.

"Yes, it's fine," I reassured her. "Those two need to work it out on their own."

"Are you okay with covering the last section then?" Nanoha asked Teana and Subaru. Subaru nodded, sending nervous glances to the red-head next to her. Teana crossed her arms in defeat, nodding in confirmation as well.

"Fate-chan," Nanoha then turned to me. "You can come over to my house to borrow my copy of the book today. I read it last week, when Hayate had told me which book she had chosen."

I froze in sheer delight with the thought of spending time at Nanoha's house with her, and absolute terror thinking about her father catching me there with her.

Nanoha read my expression. "Nyahaha, I wouldn't invite you over if my parents where there! They are out of town until tomorrow. So, we will have the place to ourselves." She then reached down and grabbed my hand, pulling me off of the couch. "Come on, Fate-chan. Let's go."

**oOOOo**

**Third Person POV**

"Why are you following me?" Hayate asked, her pursuer gaining ground on her in the courtyard.

"Because we need to talk," Ginga responded simply. She eventually ran until she was directly in front of Hayate, making her stop completely on the path.

Hayate peered at Ginga silently. "What is there to talk about?" she eventually asked.

"What happened just now," Ginga replied. "Whatever that was that you and I felt just then. It wasn't normal."

Hayate crossed her arms and looked down. "Well, what did it feel like to you?"

"Like our anger towards each is unnatural. Forced, even," Ginga told her. "That it doesn't have to be like that."

"We don't really have a lot of choice in the matter," Hayate tried to begin.

"I don't want to feel that way, so therefore I know I have a choice," Ginga replied. "I can't control whether you hate me or not, but I can control my reaction to it. And I'm choosing to not feel negativity to you."

Hayate began to try to walk away, but Ginga stepped in front of her path again. "Please, Hayate, I don't think it's right for us to fight. What do you want from me to help fix this?"

Hayate looked off to the side in frustration, before finally looking at Ginga. "Tell me what you meant when you said, 'the truth about the accident'. It was Precia's fault, you know?"

Ginga remained patient, knowing that Hayate had probably only heard one side of the story most of her life. "Hayate, I'm not here to force anything on you that would alter your vision of your family, or to feed you my own bias. If you really want to know the full story, start by looking up 'Alicia Testarossa'. Precia isn't perfect, but she also isn't the monster she is made out to be."

Hayate continued to stare at Ginga tensely, who was holding her gaze in return. Suddenly, Ginga reached down and grabbed Hayate's hand and started pulling her towards the front gate. Hayate was too stunned to say anything, allowing herself to be dragged across the courtyard.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked.

Ginga smiled. "I have a movie I want to show you!" she said over her shoulder with a laugh.

They walked the short distance to Ginga's house in silence, and Hayate was surprised to see a modest home and not a luxury estate like she had expected. When Ginga opened the front door, Hayate observed that no one was home.

"Have a seat," Ginga said to Hayate, pointing to the couch. She then walked over the entertainment center and opened one of the shelves, quickly pulling out a case and placing the disc inside the tray. She let the player begin running before heading into the kitchen, returning shortly after with two bottles of water for herself and her guest.

Ginga picked up the remote to hit then play button on the menu, and before long the opening scene to the movie had both her and Hayate entranced with the characters of Valjean and Javert. They watched the movie together in comfortable silence, with Hayate openly crying at Anne Hathaway's performance as Fantine singing _I Dreamed A Dream._ Hayate looked over at her after the scene, and Ginga nodded in agreement that it was spectacular, secretly elated she could have shared that moment with her.

After the movie was over, Ginga walked Hayate to the door and out onto the front porch. Silently, Hayate turned and hugged her tightly without warning. Ginga was stunned for a moment, but then returned her embrace as well.

"Thank you, Ginga," Hayate then said quietly. "I'm glad you shared that with me." She then turned and walked away without another word. Ginga leaned against the railing of the porch for a few moments, watching Hayate walk away, before she turned the corner and was out of her sight for the rest of the evening.

**oOOOo**

**Fate POV**

Nanoha and I walked slowly from the school to her house, as she clutched the stuffed bear from earlier to her chest, both of us just enjoying each others' presence.

"What do you think happened? Between Hayate and Ginga?" Nanoha asked me.

I shrugged. "I never really thought they hated each other, honestly. But Ginga is pretty stubborn," I replied.

"Yeah, so is Hayate," Nanoha said, laughing. "She was pretty upset when she saw what happened earlier with you and I in the courtyard. Well, except for that last part," she added, now blushing a little.

I rubbed my stomach, as it now felt sore this afternoon. "It's a good thing I promised not to take things personally," I responded.

Nanoha paused for a moment. "So, Fate-chan, you said you would tell me what was going on if I played along. Why did your mother put you up to that?"

"Well," I began, "my mother thought that if I could get you to fall for me, then you would tell me things about your parents' corporation. Things she could use against them."

Nanoha nodded, seemingly confirming what she had already guessed. "Well, enough of that nonsense," she decided. She suddenly ran a few steps ahead of me and tossed the stuffed bear high above us. While I was distracted trying to catch it, she began to run, getting a head start on me.

"You have to catch me first if you want to get into my house!" she called out over her shoulder as I caught the stuffed animal. She then dropped her bag on the street on purpose, directly in my path. I began to jog after her, first stooping down to pick her bag from the street, even though it weighed me down considerably.

She was several yards ahead of me, and I ran as fast as possible considering the two bags and stuffed animal in my possession. When she got to the wrought iron front gate to the mansion, I saw her go beside one of the front pillars. Suddenly, the gates started to close in front of me, and she was laughing and waving on the other side at me.

"Hey!" I shouted, beginning to run faster. She screamed as she realized I was most likely going to make it through the gates before they closed, and began running up the long driveway to her house. I began to catch up with her, but she managed to punch in the security code to her door and entered her front lobby. She then slammed the door shut in my face, right before I could follow her in.

"Nope!" she shook her head through the glass in the front doorway with a smirk. I dropped the backpacks and bear on the porch and attempted to turn the door handle, and was not surprised to find it locked. I took a few steps backwards slowly from the front door, as she studied my actions closely. I paused, and then immediately turned to my left, jumping the front porch railing to head to the side of the house, where the balcony to her room was.

"Oh, crap!" I heard her say from inside, as she realized where I was heading. I picked up my pace and was climbing up the latticework quickly, jumping down onto the balcony as I heard her enter her bedroom at the same time.

"Oh, no you don't!" she yelled at me playfully, exiting onto the balcony and pulling the French Doors to her bedroom shut behind her. I had just reached the doors as she was exiting, trapping her between myself and them, our bodies about a foot apart.

She held the book I was to borrow in front of her. "I, um, I grabbed this on my way out here," she said quietly, still breathless.

I looked at her for a moment, and then took the book into my hand. "So, Marius and Cosette then?" I said, now beginning to make my way over to the opposite railing of the balcony to sit down.

Nanoha slid down against the doors across from me. "Yes, they are two characters that fall in love with each other every time their eyes meet. Almost like, they enter into their own world by just that one action each time. They can't be together though, at least not in the beginning."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Well, Cosette's father doesn't really approve of Marius. He distrusts him. And Marius doesn't seem to have the courage to take the final step to ask for the father's permission to be with her," Nanoha replied.

I nodded, noting full well the parallels in the situations. "So, what happens with them in the end?" I asked her.

She giggled. "Fate-chan, that's why I'm letting you borrow the book! You'll have to find out for yourself." I laughed a little as well, having been caught trying to sneak information.

"You know, she won't stop until she gets what she wants," I said after a moment. "My mother, that is."

"Well, what does she want?" Nanoha replied.

"Vindication," I told her, the best word I could come up with in the situation.

"And what do you want?" she then asked me.

I opened my mouth to respond, but realized then that I had no good answer for her question. I had been doing these jobs, these _missions_, for so long for my mother that I'm wasn't sure now if I ever thought about a life outside of it.

Nanoha sensed my inability to answer the question, and stood up from her place in front of the doors. She walked across the balcony, and then sat on her knees in front of me. She raised her hand, moving a few strands of hair away from my face and behind my ear.

"Can the answer just be 'you'?" I finally responded to her question after a few moments, looking up at her.

She nodded, and then kissed my forehead lightly. "It's a start," she replied. "But just wanting me won't be enough to actually get me."

"And what do you want, Nanoha?" I asked her.

"To not have to stay away from you anymore," she told me. She then stood up and headed back to the doors to her bedroom.

I stood up as well. "How am I supposed to fix this?" I asked, almost pleading with her.

"I can't answer that for you," she said over her shoulder. "It's important you decide how on your own."

I watched her exit back into her bedroom, perplexed at first. As I was climbing down from the balcony, I then realized what she had meant. I would have to choose between my mother and her to be with her, if she truly was the answer to what I wanted in my life.

I jogged quickly across the grounds and hopped the same manor wall as before, this time unsure what direction I was headed in as I ran away.

* * *

**A/N:** If you haven't seen Anne Hathaway singing _I Dreamed a Dream_, I cannot recommend you do so enough. The whole movie is incredible really, as is the book, of course. As of right now, the roles of the girls' previous lives is more subliminal this time around, allowing them to touch on those stories as guidance without fully entering into them again. My prep notes for each chapter are getting more extensive with certain details, as I'm reversing certain roles from the first time around (example: Nanoha was Marius and Romeo in first half, and now Fate has assumed them). The only hint I'll give is that there is that a mirror effect involved :D Well, until next time! ~Nissanity~


	14. Chapter 14 - Shame the Devil

**A/N: **I followed the timeline of the most recent movie of _Les Miserables _when writing Fate and Nanoha's part of the story. It's really different from the book, but I prefer it when writing this particular story. To **SapphoSensei**, you touched on a very important subject in your review with the rippling effect. The loss of the original timeline for Romeo and Juliet did in fact change history ~^..^~

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 14 – ****__****Shame the Devil**

* * *

_~June, 1831, Paris, France~_

******Fate POV**

I slowly retrieved the case I had previously hidden beneath my bed, running my hand over the smooth, polished cherrywood before opening it. The case contained two pistols I had bought a few days prior, in anticipation of the rioting in the streets of Paris that night, to overthrow the monarchy. As I began to check the weapons and arm myself, the ring containing my family crest on my finger shined momentarily, catching my eye. I recalled the conversation with my grandfather a few minutes prior, who had seen me on the streets in the middle of a protest.

"Fate, have you any idea of the shame you bring upon our family?!" he had shouted, before turning his back to me and returning to his carriage.

"_Shame?_" I now thought to myself. "_What more noble a cause to fight for than one's country and common man?_" I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the thoughts of my now distant family, before removing the ring and placing it in the case instead.

"Hello, Fate," I heard a voice call from behind me. I turned, seeing Ginga standing in the open doorway, watching me carefully. I smiled at her briefly before returning to look at my weapons.

"Still plotting to overthrow the state, then?" she asked me. "Is there a reason why you pretend to be poor, and continue to fight with us? I know your grandfather is rich. I just saw you speaking with him."

I stood up and passed Ginga in the doorway. "I haven't earned that money, so I refuse to accept their handouts. Besides, those bridges are burned, " I replied, reaching the top of the stairwell.

As I walked down the stairs, I heard her following me closely. I found her presence comforting in some unknown way, and she made a good comrade in the fight. I made my way to the street and attempted to cross, not seeing the horse-drawn buggy making it's way down the middle of the road quickly. I pulled myself back in time to avoid being struck.

As I was attempting to cross again, a movement caught my eye from across the street. It was the color blue - - a brilliant sapphire as bright as the sky itself. I was immobilized as I saw a beautiful young woman passing out alms to the poor. I paid no attention to the guardian figure next to her side, as the blue-eyed girl suddenly saw me across the street in return.

I walked along the street as they did, and stopped as they stopped, my eyes never leaving her. She would occasionally glance at me, her expression towards me that of intrigue and a bit of amusement. I was completely entranced, and I knew I was smiling foolishly in her direction but was unable to stop.

Before I could make any attempts to approach her as they crossed the street in front of me, a fight began between a large group of citizens. I was unable to see much through the crowd, but it appeared that the girl's guardian had been involved in the skirmish. My path was blocked so I could be of no assistance, and looking to my left, I spotted a constable heading in their direction. Her guardian looked panicked as the officer approached, and quickly led the girl down the street and around the corner, out of my line of vision.

I exhaled the breath I did not realize I had been holding and looked down at the ground, still grinning foolishly. Never in my life had I felt my entire consciousness being overtaken by a single person, as if reality did not exist except for her and I. After I recovered, I made my way back to Ginga, who was leaning against a pillar outside a building. She was watching the constable interrogate the people originally in the tussle, seemingly worried that some of her friends may be in trouble.

"Ginga... who was that girl?" I asked, my eyes still searching the street, hoping for her return.

"A member of the bourgeoisie, I imagine," she replied.

I took out a few coins from my pocket. "Would you please find out who she is for me? Discover where she lives?" I asked her.

Ginga refused the money. "I don't want your money, Fate," she told me.

I nodded my head. "Thank you. I... I somehow feel lost without her now." I began to walk in the direction I had last seen her, just in case I could find her again before it was too late.

"I'll do my best," I heard Ginga behind me. "I'll just have to rely on some of the connections I know."

**oOOOo**

A few days later, I was attending an emergency meeting regarding the death of General Lamarque. With the only sympathizer to our cause now deceased, we were gathered to discuss where the revolution was headed next. I had been distracted during the entire meeting though, thinking of nothing but the girl who's brief entrance and exit from my life had consumed my thoughts these past few days. I suddenly saw Ginga enter into the room to stand behind the crowd.

"Did you find her?" I asked her desperately, after I made my way over to her. She nodded, and then quickly turned to exit from the building. I immediately followed behind her, forgetting formalities with my fellow comrades and leaving without saying farewell to anyone in the room.

She led me silently across the streets and through many alleyways, behind the buildings and homes of the city. I stumbled a few times, unable to see the obstacles in my path. Ginga never once faltered, seeming to know these back paths and alleyways well.

We followed along a solid stone wall until we reached a rusted gate, which was overgrown with ivy and other vines. Ginga held back, allowing me to approach the deteriorating entrance by myself. I glanced back at her in confusion, before I turned to look closely through the foliage. I spotted sapphire, the color seeming to be as bright in the moonlight as it was during the light of day. The girl was standing in the rear doorway of her home, looking across the garden in my direction.

I remain transfixed as it appeared she had seen me, as she smiled and started across the garden. I walked a few steps closer, placing my hand on the gate and lacing my fingers around the cool iron railings as I watched her. She paused next to a pillar along the path, leaning against it as she studied me in return.

"My name is Testarossa," I said to her. "Well, no. I mean, that's not my name. It is, but not..." I paused. "I'm doing this all wrong," I then said helplessly, laughing at myself.

Her smile broadened as she removed herself from beside the pillar and approached me. "That's fine," she replied. "I'd much prefer a genuine introduction like that, instead of one full of formalities."

"My name is Fate. And pardon me, but I don't even know your name."

"It's Nanoha," she replied softly, turning her head slightly as she studied my eyes.

"Nanoha!" I repeated, my face becoming a bit brighter after I said her name. It seemed to exit from my lips naturally - - effortlessly, almost.

Nanoha glanced up at my hand on the gate, and then raised hers to hover over it. I released my fingers from around the iron and place it flat against the curved bars. She laid hers flat against them as well, our fingertips now lightly brushing against each others.

"I felt like I had been lost before..." I whispered, and then instantly shook my head, regretting the thought being allowed to slip my mind.

She raised her eyebrows. "And it appears that now you are found?" she replied.

I made an attempt to speak, but a voice came from her house behind her. "Nanoha!" the voice called.

Nanoha quickly turned away and headed back up the garden path. I pulled away from the gate as well, hiding behind the stone wall close to me.

"Nanoha, what were you doing? I told you to say inside," the voice scolded. I then heard someone approaching the gate quickly to inspect where she had previously been. I remained perfectly still behind the wall, halting my breathing and squeezing my eyes shut.

"_I should just be brave!_" I tried to will myself. "_I should confess my love, and ask permission to court her. She is who I truly want, after all!_"

Before I had the chance to summon my courage, the figure turned away from the gate, leaving me to my own regrets. I pulled away from the wall in frustration and walked silently past Ginga, leaving Nanoha behind for another day.

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

**Fate POV**

I shut the book quickly and placed it in my backpack, as the bell signaling the end of class had just chimed. I had been secretly reading my portion of _Les Miserables_ all through the class lecture, unable to leave the story behind. I felt inexplicably drawn to it, especially regarding the blossoming love between the two characters who barely knew the details of each others lives, yet seemed to understand each other completely.

Subaru had come to deliver a message for me before lunch, saying that Nanoha had to leave school early to meet her parents, who were returning home that afternoon from a short business trip. She informed me that Hayate had canceled the club meeting, saying she had something important to do as well. She also wanted me to know that the new book for next week would be _Anne of Green Gables_.

"I haven't read that one in quite some time," I had told Subaru, smiling a little at the memory.

"Yeah," she said with her goofy grin that I was starting to notice the more we spoke. "She said something about taking it easy next week, considering how heavy this week's material was." I agreed, thinking how much I had read of _Les Miserables_ so far, and recalling how many hours of sleep I lost in the process the night before.

I made my way out of the classroom and walked down the stairs after class, exiting into the courtyard in search of Ginga and Teana. I then sent Ginga a text message, and she informed me that she and Teana had already started on their way home. I didn't really mind the chance to be alone with my own thoughts that afternoon, so I made my way to the front entrance to the school, beginning my journey home as well.

I reached the intersection where I could either turn left and continue on my way home, or I could turn right... in the direction of Nanoha's house. I opted for the latter path, although I wasn't quite sure why, or what I would do exactly when I got there. I just felt compelled to be in the same proximity as her at the moment, even if stone walls and parental figures stood in our way.

I walked slowly along the mansion walls, running my fingertips across them lightly, enjoying the rough texture of the concrete under them. I knew I was hidden from view from anyone who may be looking in my direction from the mansion, although I did sacrifice my view of the home in return.

As I neared the wrought iron gate at the entrance to the property, I was shocked to hear shouting coming the mansion this far away on the street. I knelt down with my back against the stone wall, and peeked my head around slowly, to see if I could observe what the commotion was. I saw Nanoha and Momoko Takamachi, whom I recognized as her mother, standing on the front porch. Their bodies were tense as they continued to argue.

"Nanoha, just listen!" her mother plead. "It isn't the end of the world!"

"This isn't your life that is being controlled here!" she screamed back. "How could you accept that from him!" she continued, pointing in the direction of the open front door

Suddenly, Shiro Takamachi appeared in the doorway. "What is this all about?" he asked loudly. "Is she not grateful for the opportunity?!" he asked his wife heatedly.

Momoko looked down, and then walked away from Nanoha and her father. I gripped my hand against the stone wall, ready to act if I felt like she was in physical danger in any way.

"You do not respect me, or my own choices in my life," Nanoha yelled her father. "I may be your daughter, but you cannot force me to do anything I do not wish to do!"

"This is not up for discussion!" he shouted. "If you live under my house, you will follow my rules! And you will NOT embarrass me. Do you understand me, young lady?"

Nanoha shook her head angrily and backed away from her father, turning to run down the porch steps and across the yard. I saw her run in the direction of the large garden on the grounds, one that I figured provided her sanctuary many times in her life similar to this situation.

"Nanoha!" her mother pleaded after her.

"Let her go," Shiro told her. "She shall see soon enough that it is for the best." Shiro and Momoko then walked back through the open doorway, shutting the door behind them.

I quickly ran around the outside of the mansion along the stone wall, coming to a stop where I gauged the garden must be on the other side. Without hesitation, I jogged away from the wall and then turned to face it. I sprinted and jumped, scaling the wall and landing next to a large rose brush. I was grateful for my luck to have not landed directly in it.

Nanoha was seated in the white gazebo in the middle of the garden, and I could hear her crying and gasping. She had not heard my entrance, so I crawled over as quietly as I could, eventually leaning back against the gazebo pillar. My back was directly to her, where she was sitting above and behind me.

"Are you okay?" I finally asked.

"Yeah..." she replied, not crying as much now. She must have heard me as I approached her, I assumed. "I just received some bad news is all," she then told me.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ventured.

"No. Not now," she responded. I then heard her moving around, so I lifted my head up to look above me. Nanoha was now leaning over the railing, her face upside-down in my vision. I saw her smile a little, and I felt a bit relieved.

"I want you to take me away from here instead," she stated.

I nodded. "Now?"

"Um-hmm," she confirmed. She then pointed to the mansion wall. "I'm not as talented as you, though," she teased.

"I've just had plenty of practice is all," I joked back. "I'll give you a boost up, okay?"

She looked back at her house, making sure no one had returned outside. Ensuring that the coast was clear, she exited the gazebo and made her way to the wall. I stood next to it, cupping my hands so that she could step into them.

"Fate-chan... don't use this as an opportunity to look up my skirt or anything," she said, punching me a little in my arm.

I felt myself blush a little. "You have absolutely no faith in me!" I replied, pretending to be wounded.

She gave me a weary look before prepping herself to scale the wall. She stepped onto my hands and jumped up as I lifted her, and she grabbed the top of the wall and pulled herself over, accidentally kicking me in the shoulder in the process. I knew she wouldn't have noticed, so I just looked up to make sure she had made it up and over safely. I heard a _thud_ on the other side of the wall soon after, as I then grabbed my shoulder in pain and rubbed it.

"Are you okay?" I asked her over the wall.

"Yeah," she replied. "That wasn't too bad. Can you make it over okay?"

I nodded in confirmation, and then shook my head when I realized she couldn't have seen my response. "Yes, I'll be right over!" I finally responded.

Ensuring that the coast was still clear for me with a glance back at the mansion, I quickly sprinted toward the wall to scale it. I was mid-air when I heard a click come from the wall beside me, and a previously unnoticed gate in the stone wall opened inward. I crashed into the wall awkwardly in surprise, as Nanoha then walked through it.

"Oh, um, oops!" she exclaimed, scratching the back of her head nervously as she saw me now leaning in pain against the concrete. "I didn't notice this gate before. Did you?" she asked me.

Figuring there was no response I could come up with that wouldn't sound sarcastic, I just shook my head instead. "Let's just go," I said with a smile, grabbing her hand in mine and walking through the gate, closing it behind us.

We walked hand in hand down the various streets in silence mostly, with Nanoha occasionally giggling and pointing at something she found amusing along the way. We stopped by a bookstore, picking up copies of _Anne of Green Gables_ for the club next week.

We eventually made it to the backside of my house, as I had led us there through an alleyway that ran outside my bedroom window. I pointed to the ladder that was resting against the wall, just underneath the base of the window.

"Sometimes it's easier for me to avoid my mother if I come and go with that," I explained to her.

Nanoha looked at me, her face showing obvious confusion at my modest house. "Fate-chan, I hate to say this, but I'm a little - " she began.

"Surprised?" I interrupted. "Yeah, the family doesn't really spend their money on material possessions, I guess."

"If they don't care about money, then why...?" Nanoha continued, alluding to the feud between the families.

"Someday I'll explain it to you, I promise," I replied. "But for tonight, let's just pretend like none of that exists, okay?"

She smiled at me. "Okay. I can do that," she responded.

We quickly made our way through the back gate of the fence from the alleyway, and I climbed up the ladder outside my window as quietly as possible. I slid the window open and climbed inside silently, then turning to see her climb up the ladder next. As she made it through the window frame she slipped a little, and I caught her in my arms, hugging her close to me.

I pulled back from her and put my index finger to my lips, a motion to ask her to be quiet for a moment. She nodded, and I listened for my mother outside my bedroom walls. I heard the familiar tapping of the keys of her keyboard in her office faintly, signifying that she was currently occupied in her own world.

"We have to be quiet," I whispered to Nanoha.

"I'll try my best," she responded softly, and then suddenly pulled me down to kiss her. I was taken aback for a moment, before giving in and kissing her in return. It was slow and deliberate, our lips gliding across each others as we relished the taste and sensations that came from our connection.

She then pulled back, guiding me to her neck as she leaned her head to the side, allowing for better access. She giggled a little, feeling my breath tickling her neck, as I bit at her lightly before kissing each spot afterward. Her hands where gently in my hair, holding my head against her.

"I want to show you that I belong to you, Fate-chan - - no matter what happens in the future," she told me quietly. I slowly pulled back to look at her, surprised and a little confused by her words.

"Nanoha, I - " I tried to begin, but was halted when her lips pressed against mine again. I then felt her pushing me backwards, and I sat down on the bed when my knees ran into the side of it. She followed me down in one motion, straddling my hips as she still continued to kiss me.

Our kiss began to escalate from there, and I wrapped my arm around her, maneuvering her to lay on her back with her head on my pillow. She wrapped her arms firmly around my neck, not allowing me to break our kiss again. I fumbled with the desk lamp beside my bed without looking up, trying to find the power switch by memory. I finally just pushed it off to the ground and the bulb broke, and darkness filled the room as Nanoha and I then gave ourselves completely to each other that evening.

**oOOOo**

**Third Person POV**

"Hmmm, where is it?" Hayate murmured to herself in frustration, looking through the network drive on one of the computers at the Takamachi Laboratory. It had not been difficult for her to sneak into the front office area, having swiped her aunt's spare keys from the family safe in the library at home. She had interned at the lab the previous summer, so she knew her way around the facility, and she was grateful to find that none of the passwords had been changed in her absence.

The difficulty came when she actually went to look for more information on the name that had haunted her dreams the night before. An internet search at home the previous evening came up with nothing on 'Alicia Testarossa', as if she had never existed. This unsettled Hayate, believing that there should have been at least a birth or death record on the young girl.

"_I know Ginga wasn't lying, though,_" she thought to herself, inexplicably trusting the words of the blue-haired girl she had only recently met in person.

Hayate continued to search for records on the company's computers but came up short. Even the files on Precia Testarossa seemed incomplete, as if they had been deleted or hidden in areas not accessible to her. She turned her attention then to the incident that occurred when she was around four years old, the one that Precia had been solely responsible for with her negligence. Or at least, so she thought.

As Hayate began to search through the company's physical records that had been scanned into the database, it did not take her long to recognize inconsistencies in the reporting of the events leading to the tragedy. In some records, statements from Precia following the tragedy were completely blacked out. In another report, Hayate read of an original timeline for the planned testing of the reactor that exploded, killing hundreds of people. She then ran the dates of the tragedy through her mind, seeing that the testing occurred six months sooner than the original timeframe had planned for.

Hayate printed out a copy of the timeline, intending to head to Nanoha's house directly afterward to confront Shiro on the issue. She did not care if it angered him that she broke into the facility that night, or how she managed to obtain the information. She had made too many decisions in her life regarding her animosity for the Testarossa's, based solely on what the family had told her about the tragedy throughout the years, and she wasn't about to make any more decisions without knowing the full truth.

"_Oh, my god..._" Hayate then whispered to herself. There was a folder listing casualties of the explosion, with their photos, in the last report in the main file. She double-clicked the folder with a shaking hand, immediately seeing a sub folder labeled 'Alicia Testarossa'. She hovered her mouse over it for a moment, before squeezing her eyes shut and double-clicking the folder.

As she opened her eyes, she observed three photos contained within. If she didn't know that the little girl's name was Alicia, she would have guessed her to have been a young Fate. One photo she recognized was Alicia's official company picture, as the Takamachi Corporation took photos of the children of employees. Hayate had several of herself taken over the years. The next photo was a personal one, with Alicia smiling as she attended her first day of school.

Hayate's eyes trailed over to the last photo, and her hand flew to her mouth in horror as she screamed into her palm, with tears immediately falling from her eyes. It was Alicia's death photo, and she was almost unrecognizable with the burns and gashes to her body after the explosion. It took everything Hayate had to not vomit as she quickly closed the file on the computer. She then hunched over in the chair, reeling from the enormous grief she felt for a girl she never knew existed before yesterday evening.

Hayate eventually composed herself, retrieving the paper from the printer than contained the original timeline. She was heading for the front door when an enormous explosion came from the next section of the laboratory, immediately causing the lights to go out above her and the sprinkler system to come on. The wall to Hayate's right exploded almost instantly afterward, and fragments of concrete crashed into her and propelled her across the room.

She fought the blackness trying to overtake her senses, before finally succumbing to unconsciousness, the paper with the timeline still firmly gripped in her hand.

******oOOOo**

******Fate POV**

I awoke to the sound of pounding on the front door of my house, and as I opened my eyes I saw flashing red and white lights outside my window. I looked over to my right, seeing Nanoha still asleep beside me, curled up against my arm.

"This is the police! Come to the door!" I then heard, followed by the sound of more pounding on the front door. I quickly disengaged Nanoha from my arm and began getting dressed as fast as I could. She woke up with my movements.

"Stay there, Nanoha," I requested of her. "I'll be right back." She nodded silently, and I ran out my bedroom and flew down the stairs. I observed my mother opening the front door as I reached the base of the stairwell.

"Precia Testarossa?" the officer on the other side of the door asked when it was opened. My mother said nothing, only glaring and crossing her arms at the man in response.

"You are needed for questioning down at the station," he continued. "Please come with us."

I quickly ran in front of my mother, who was motionless to the request from the officer. "What do you want from her?" I demanded. "She has done nothing wrong! She has been here all night."

The officer looked a little annoyed at my presence. "There was an explosion at the Takamachi Laboratory this evening. Shiro Takamachi has been gravely injured, along with a few others. His youngest daughter Nanoha is also missing." He turned his attention to my mother. "Based on your previous history with the family, we need to speak to you about the incident."

My mother's face remained emotionless as she absorbed the news. She silently turned towards the kitchen to retrieve her purse, before returning to exit out the front door past the officers.

"My...father...?" I heard in a trembling voice behind me. I turned to see Nanoha standing at the base of the stairs, leaning against the wall for support. My throat immediately clenched and I was unable to speak, knowing she had just seen my mother leave with the police, to be questioned of her involvement in the situation.

The officer perked up at her statement. "Are you Nanoha Takamachi?" he asked quickly. Nanoha nodded in response.

"All units, please be advised that Nanoha Takamachi has been located," he said into the mic of his police radio. "All units searching for Nanoha Takamachi, please stand down."

He then turned to Nanoha, his voice softening. "We need to get you to the hospital immediately. Please come with us."

Nanoha removed herself from the wall and walked towards the front door in a daze. I was paralyzed as I watched her, an overwhelming sense of despair overtaking me that she was about to exit my life forever, coupled with the notion that I wouldn't blame her in the slightest if she did.

She paused at the doorway as the police officers began to lead her to their vehicles. She looked over to me, and I held my breath awaiting her words, tears falling from my eyes as I studied her face carefully.

"I told you, Fate-chan..." she said quietly. "I belong to you, no matter what happens." She then exited the doorway and began following the officers down the front walkway. I fell to my knees, watching her until she entered the police vehicle and they drove away. I fell back against the wall of the hallway after they were gone, curling myself in a ball while I tried to figure out what to do next.

I wasn't sure how long I sat in that position, until I observed Ginga's face in front of mine. Noticing my stunned reaction to her sudden appearance, she grabbed my hand in hers. "Fate, you need to get up," she told me. I looked closer at her face, and I noticed she had been crying.

"Hayate was hurt too," she explained further, "and I need to go see her. Please, come with me, Fate!"

I paused for a moment, realizing that this was the first time Ginga had ever asked for my help with anything in her life. I looked down in shame for a moment, remembering all the times she had selflessly been there for me and never asked for anything in return. I then stood up and took a deep breath, gathering all the courage I could.

"You're right, Ginga," I replied. "It's time for us to go."

* * *

******A/N: **Was anyone surprised that I didn't make Ginga and Hayate to be Valjean and Javert after all? I felt that Shiro and Precia made more sense as the two, which is why I wrote Ginga and Hayate as only relating to the characters in the previous chapter because of the family feud. Hayate was actually Fantine, which was why she was so moved by the performance in the movie, although I didn't really want to get into that too much in the story.

Okay, enough story notes! I have been getting some incredible reviews the past few days and I want to say, it is so humbling for me to hear those thoughtful and encouraging words about the story. And to** CryingLeo**, I will put _Das Resultat Sagt Alles_ on my to-read list. It looks very interesting. Until next time! ~Nissanity~


	15. Chapter 15 - Thicker than Water

**A/N: **This chapter turned out a bit longer than usual compared to my other updates, but a lot is happening and I didn't want to leave anything out. I'll be off again for a few more days after this, as I have a big assignment for school due at the end of the week. I'll get it done as soon as I can, though! +^..^+

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

**PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

**Chapter 15 – ****_Thicker Than Water_**

* * *

**Fate POV**

"Is this the right way?" I asked quietly, peeking around the corner of the hallway.

"I'm not sure," Ginga replied. "I've never been to this hospital before."

"Subaru, did they tell you what room Hayate was in?" Teana asked, clutching Subaru's hand tightly. I couldn't help but smile to myself at the sight, knowing that Teana would never have done that normally, had we all not been so nervous about sneaking into hospital to try to visit Hayate.

Subaru thought for a moment. "I think it was room number 304," she finally replied. "Shiro is in ICU, I know that for sure. He is in still a coma for now."

I figured that Nanoha and her family were most likely in that area of the hospital then, and I shook off the urge to run and go find her. I knew the last thing I needed to do was stir up controversy with them in this time of crisis, considering the position my mother was in as a suspect in the explosion at the laboratory. It was risky enough that we were going to try to talk to Hayate.

Subaru had called Teana a few hours after the accident to inform her that Hayate had been hurt, but her injuries were not severe. She was only required to stay overnight for observation, and would be discharged from the hospital in the morning. Ginga wanted to sneak in to visit her in the hospital before that happened, in case she was forbidden from seeing us after she was discharged. We were all now on the third floor of the hospital, trying to break into her room.

"Are things always this crazy with Testarossa's, by the way?" Subaru suddenly asked us. "We have only know each other for five days, and now..." she waved her hand around, "all this."

"I'm sorry, Subaru," I responded. "This is all pretty normal for us, but I can see how it might be odd for someone outside of the family."

"Look, there's Signum!" Ginga cried out, pointing down the hall. I grabbed Ginga's arm and pulled her back up against the wall to hide her, as Signum looked down the hallway in confusion at hearing her name.

"I know you are nervous Ginga, but don't forget your training!" I warned her in a whisper.

She nodded, but as she went to peer around the corner of the hall again, her face ran right into Signum's approaching chest. Signum paused for a moment and looked down at Ginga scornfully, who was slowly raising her eyes to Signum's face, her chin still tucked against her cleavage. Signum suddenly pushed Ginga off of her and into our group, and we caught her before she fell down.

"Care to tell me what you all are doing here?" she said, now crossing her arms over the violated area.

"We, uh..." I began, suddenly feeling too intimidated to speak.

Subaru stepped forward. "We came to see Hayate, Signum. We wanted to make sure she was okay."

"I see..." Signum replied slowly. "And why would you think that I would let you three _anywhere_ near my niece?" she then asked heatedly, turning her attention to the three Testarossa's in the group.

I took a step back, knowing full well the brunt of her anger might be directed at me. I debated on just running away, before a voice called out from behind Signum.

"Signum, what is going on?" the voice asked, and a blond-haired woman rounded the corner. She stopped short when she saw us all cowering in the hallway in front of the gruff woman.

"Shamal!" Subaru cried out excitedly. She ran and gave her a hug, not letting go even as the woman started speaking to us.

"You must be from the Testarossa clan?" she began, giving us a genuine smile. Ginga, Teana, and I glanced at each other in nervous surprise at her gesture.

"Y-Yes?" we all stammered in reply.

"We are here to see Hayate," Ginga then added quickly. "Please?"

"Oh yes, of course. Go right ahead!" Shamal said cheerfully. "I'm sure she would love to have some visitors. Just don't let the nurse see you," she warned us playfully, pointing at our now smiling faces.

Signum looked shocked. "You're just going to let them go, just like that?!" she asked incredulously.

Shamal turned on her heel to face Signum. "Oh I'm sorry, are you afraid of some teenage girls in a book club or something?" she asked sarcastically. "Or did I end up marrying some sort of drama queen in all this? Is that it?"

Signum froze, her eyes wide in shock at Shamal's words. She then lowered her head and nodded in compliance. Shamal wrapped her arms around the group and began ushering us down the hall to Hayate's room.

"We are better than that, you know!" she called over her shoulder, the final dagger in Signum's pride.

Shamal quietly opened the door now in front of us and peeked inside. "Hayate, you have visitors," she said. After a moment she leaned back out.

"Go ahead, guys," she then told us. Subaru gave Shamal one last hug, before pushing open the door carefully. Teana and I followed behind her, with Ginga entering into the room last.

Hayate was sitting up on the edge of hospital bed in a sweatshirt and track pants, and she was smiling as we walked in. She had some cuts and bruises on her face, and her left arm was in a sling.

"Hey, you look pretty good for having been exploded!" Subaru said happily to her.

"Damnit, Subaru..." Teana growled quietly over her shoulder in her direction.

Hayate laughed, and then grabbed her ribs in pain. "Ow. I shouldn't laugh, but thanks." She then turned her attention to Ginga, who was still standing near the closed door at the front of the room. She seemed to be in shock at seeing Hayate in her injured state.

"Come here, Ginga," Hayate requested softly, holding out her free hand in front of her. Ginga stood up from the doorway and crossed the room to stand in front of her, taking Hayate's hand in hers. Ginga then raised her other hand to tuck some of stray hairs behind Hayate's ear.

"How bad does it hurt?" Ginga asked her.

"Well, I've been through worse. So, no big deal," she tried to reassure her with a shrug, but grimaced a little after the motion.

"What were you doing there?" Subaru asked her. "You haven't been to the lab since last summer."

I observed Hayate glance at Ginga nervously, who bit her lip in response as she returned the look. They seemed to be having a silent conversation about what should or should not be said to the group.

"You two can cut that out right now," I informed them. "Because you are going to tell us everything that is going on."

Ginga smiled at having been caught by me. "Fate, don't get mad," she said, her smile now fading. "But I told Hayate about Alicia."

I uncrossed my arms slowly and rose up from the wall in shock. "Ginga, why would you do that?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"She didn't tell me about Alicia specifically, Fate," Hayate said in Ginga's defense. "She just told me her name, and told me to research her if I ever wanted to know the truth about the accident. That's what I was doing at the lab when it exploded."

"Did you find out anything?" Subaru asked her.

"Not exactly," Hayate replied honestly. "I actually have more questions than answers now, it seems. But I'll be patient. We have a bigger issue now, apparently."

"Hayate, you have to understand, my mother would never - " I began quickly.

"- do anything like that?" Hayate finished, and then smiled a little at me. "I know, Fate. I saw enough tonight to understand that. But... that doesn't mean everyone else is going to see it that way."

"We are going to have to find out what happened as soon as possible, before anyone has a chance to cover anything up," Teana said, the gears in her mind starting to switch into planning mode.

"What do you guys know? What was Shiro doing at the lab tonight so late?" I asked Hayate and Subaru.

"Well, I know that there is some big shot and his son in town," Subaru replied. "Shiro and Momoko flew out to meet him at his corporate headquarters yesterday, and they both flew back with them today."

"Oh, about the possible company merger, right?" Hayate added. "I remember them talking about that this weekend. It's all happening really fast, from what I have heard."

I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Merger? What kind of merger?"

"Well, you know how the Takamachi Corporation deals a lot with biological research, right?" Hayate responded. "Supposedly, this other company has found a new breakthrough with an animal that has never been used before."

"Ew, animal experimentation? That's sick!" Teana exclaimed.

Hayate held up her hands defensively. "As far as I can tell, it's all humane."

"What kind of animals are we talking about here?" Ginga asked.

"Ferrets, I think," Hayate replied.

I became lost in thought for a moment, while the girls discussed the merits and disadvantages of ferrets in the world. I finally allowed all the pieces to fall into place in my mind, pushing aside my desire to deny the notion that made me physically sick to my stomach.

"Nanoha has been engaged," I said suddenly, interrupting their conversation. I looked down at the ground afterward, swallowing hard to stem the tide of tears threatening to fall.

The girls were silent for a moment after my sudden announcement. "W-Wait, what? What was that, Fate?" Hayate finally asked.

"Nanoha got into a huge fight with her parents today. I just happened to be around to witness it," I continued. "She was talking about her parents controlling her life, and now this merger talk..." I trailed off, not really wanting to speak of the situation any further.

Hayate silently rose from the bed and walked slowly to the door of the room, opening it as best as she could. "Signum!" she screamed into the hallway.

"Whoa, Hayate! It's almost midnight, what are you doing? You could wake up the other patients!" she replied, quickly walking into the room ,with Shamal not far behind her.

"What... do you know... about Nanoha... being engaged?" she then asked slowly, her teeth clenched.

"Um..." she started weakly, glancing nervously at Shamal, who now had her arms crossed and eyebrows raised expectantly at her.

"You're brother better not have done what I think he has done," Shamal warned her.

Signum sighed, her shoulders dropping. "Look, I only found out a few minutes ago myself, okay? I overheard Momoko speaking to someone in the hallway about an engagement possibly being postponed, because of Shiro being in the coma. The other person didn't look too happy about it," she added.

"Well, screw that!" Hayate suddenly yelled, picking up her backpack from the floor and placing it on top of her bed angrily. "There is not a chance in hell my best friend is getting married to some ferret boy she doesn't even know!" She began placing her belongs that were scattered around the room into the bag with her free hand.

"That's right! Yeah!" the other girls around me shouted, beginning to get excited. "And we aren't going to let Precia take the fall for the explosion tonight, either!" Ginga then cried.

Teana wheeled the food tray stand from the bed into the middle of the room. She asked Hayate for a piece of paper from her backpack, and placed it in the middle of the hard surface. "So, we need a solid plan guys. It's going to be a two-part mission, but we should have enough people to accomplish both. Is everyone in?"

Everyone around the room nodded, including Shamal. Everyone that is, except for Signum, who had her hand on the handle of the front door. "Is this a really an appropriate time to be worrying about engagements and stuff like that?" she asked us timidly. "I mean, Shiro is in a coma after all - " she tried to say.

"Just because Shiro is in a coma now," Hayate replied, "it doesn't make him any less of an _ass_ for doing that to his own daughter. Signum, how would you like it if someone told you who you had to marry? Or kept you from marrying who you wanted to?"

Signum stood up straight and looked directly at Shamal for a moment. "Oh," she finally conceded quietly. She then turned and nodded her head in our direction, grunting a little in confirmation.

"Alright, so we will need two teams..." Teana began, as the seven of us all bent over the small table together, and began to formulate a plan to save two important women in our lives from their unjust fates.

**oOOOo**

I left the hospital as soon as we had come up with our plan for the next day, attempting to get a few hours of sleep before I needed to wake up for school in the morning. The group's plan would immediately commence after school let out, each of us armed with the details of our roles in the mission at hand.

I rode the bus home across town, unable to find any other transportation that late at night. I had planned to continue reading _Les Miserables _on the ride, but when I blindly reached into my bag for the book, I instead pulled out my new copy of _Anne of Green Gables_. After inspecting the front cover and synopsis on the back, I opted to start this one instead, knowing it might help lift my spirits a little.

I read the first few chapters of the book, laughing out loud a few times at the antics of the main character. She reminded me of another certain copper-haired girl in my life, whose quirky behavior I often found so endearing to me.

I eventually made it home and crawled into bed, quickly succumbing to sleep almost immediately as my head hit my pillow. I slept well, and I had one of the most vivid dreams I had ever experienced in my life that night.

**oOOOo**

_~August, 1876, Prince Edward Island, Canada~_

**Fate POV**

"Here, tie this over... No wait, ugh!" Teana exclaimed in frustration at me. "What are you staring at?"

I had been attempting to assist Teana in securing our legs together for a three-legged race we were about to participate in. I had become distracted though, which was causing her to become irritated with me. I had spotted my classmate Hayate a moment before, running around the field with her new friend. I had seen them together during the church sermon earlier that day, and my curiosity had been peeked.

I was now watching them run from parent to parent around the field, collecting supplies so they could enter into the race as well. They eventually knelt down next to us, beginning to tie their own straps around their legs,

"Hey, Hayate, who's your friend?" I asked.

"Nanoha Takamachi," Hayate replied steadily, and then returned her vision to helping the girl secure the straps around their legs.

Nanoha's hair was a shade of copper that seemed to radiate in the sunlight, unlike typical red hair I had seen before. It was styled in two braids resting against her shoulders, and her blue eyes almost seemed to flash as she looked around at her surroundings, including during a glance she gave in my direction.

I smiled as Teana and I raised up, ready to begin the race against the two new challengers next to us. Nanoha looked determined as well, as she and Hayate then stood up next to us. She was defiantly staring at me, as we waited for the officiator to give us the signal for the race to begin.

At the sound of the starter gun, Teana and I were immediately off, taking the lead in front of the other participants. In my haste to claim victory over Hayate and her new friend though, I forgot to work in tandem with Teana. We had a misstep halfway through to the finish line, and both of us crashed into each other, before falling to the ground in a heap.

As I tried to pick myself up, I saw a flash of brown and red above me, as Hayate and Nanoha were now just mere feet from the finish line. They crossed through the red tape as I turned to look over at Teana, who had her arms crossed and was glaring at me. She then rolled her eyes and shrugged, and began to remove the straps from our legs.

Nanoha and Hayate were hugging and laughing, enjoying the ribbons that had just been awarded to them, declaring them the winners of the race. Nanoha's smile faded for a moment, and she turned to look at me still sitting on the ground. I nodded my head in appreciation to her and then gave her my best wink, one that always seemed to charm the girls in school around me.

Contrary to the typical blushing, grinning response I was accustomed to, Nanoha instead narrowed her eyes in my direction for a moment. She then snubbed her nose at me and turned to face Hayate again, the two of them again hugging and smiling, before they started unstrapping their legs from each other. It had not escaped my attention that my first attempt at charming Nanoha did not go as well as expected, so I vowed to try even harder to garner her attention the next time I saw her.

The following morning before class started at school, I had been staring out the window next to my desk, bored and waiting for the lectures to begin. I perked up immediately when I saw Nanoha enter and stand in front of our teacher.

"What is your name?" he asked her, a slight irritation in his voice.

"Nanoha Takamachi," she replied. "Nanoha is spelled with an 'o'. Sometimes, people like to spell it with an 'a'. But that's not right. It is more refined with an 'o'."

The teacher looked up at Nanoha for a moment after her odd comment, and then glanced around the classroom behind her. "You will share a seat with Hayate Yagami. Go on," he informed her.

Nanoha looked back, her eyes wide as she saw the empty desk next to her new friend. She slowly turned back to the teacher. "Thank you, sir. Hayate Yagami is my bosom friend!" she responded.

"Yes, just go," he replied, pointing to the seat. I tried to smile at Nanoha as she approached her new desk, which happened to be next to mine in class as well. She ignored me, her nose high in the air as she turned away from me to sit down. Once seated, her and Hayate looked at each other and shared a small giggle, before Nanoha settled in for the lesson.

The teacher made his way to the back of the class to stand beside Prissy Andrews, his teacher's pet in the class. Subaru, a girl in my class who sat in front of me, used the opportunity to show Nanoha the frog that she had just caught. Subaru placed it directly in front of her face, which elicited a scream from her, before Subaru pulled it away again and laughed.

Nanoha turned to look at me, as if to ask for my assistance. I winked at her instead, since I had found her scream to be an adorable response. This only seemed to upset her further, once again glaring at me before turning back to the front of the class.

I decided I had better change tactics to get her attention, so I threw a small piece of paper at the side of her head. I saw her glance at Hayate, but she didn't turn to face me. I threw another piece of paper at her, one that she completely ignored this time. I was now beginning to get frustrated at her lack of response towards me, so I decided to try a more direct approach.

"Hey, _Carrots,_" I whispered to her, referring to her copper hair. I saw her freeze and look up from her desk. Thinking that tactic might have finally worked, I tried again. "Carrots!" I repeated, and then grabbed one of her braids in my hand and pulled on it a little.

She immediately rose up from her seat angrily and stood above me. "Damnit, Fate-chan!" she screamed, and then reached down to the chalk tablet on my desk. Before I could begin to react, she slammed the tablet down over my head, and it broke apart into pieces all around me.

"Nanoha Takamachi, what is the meaning of this?!" the teacher exclaimed, walking up behind the two of us. Nanoha froze in place the aisle, now realizing the full extent of what she had just done.

"I-It's my fault, sir," I tried to say in her defense. "I was teasing her." I stopped myself from rubbing my head, so as not to emphasize to the teacher what Nanoha had just done.

The teacher began marching Nanoha to the front of the room. "Stand at the blackboard for the rest of the day," he commanded. He then picked up a piece a of chalk and began writing.

"Nanaha Takamachi has a very bad temper," he recited slowly, as he wrote out the sentence on the chalkboard. "Write this one hundred times before leaving today," he told her, before returning to his desk at the front of the class.

Nanoha turned and glared at me fiercely, and I felt my shoulder's sag in defeat under her stare. She turned to the chalkboard, erasing the 'a' in the middle of her name in the sentence the teacher just wrote, and replaced it with an 'o'.

I was lost in thought for the rest of the day, trying to figure out how I could apologize for my poor behavior towards Nanoha, but not coming up with anything worthwhile.

**oOOOo**

The next day, the class took a field trip to tour Subaru's family farm. It seemed like a silly excursion, seeing that most of us lived on farms ourselves and that we had all been to, and some of us had even worked on, the Subaru family farm many times in our lives. It was still a nice change of pace from the normal school day, though. Nanoha and Hayate stuck together all day and I dared not approach them, opting to stay with my best friend Ginga instead, as I merely watched Nanoha from a safe distance.

As we were gathered at the end of the tour, we were waiting for the teacher to return to dismiss us, since we were all going to head home directly from the farm. Ginga looked bored, and began to climb the railing along the white picket fence next to us.

The motion caught the attention of Hayate, who had been somewhat rivals with Ginga throughout most of our lives together. Ginga gave her a smug look, and then jumped down into my arms from the fence. That action seemed to have caught the attention of Nanoha, who crossed her arms in our direction.

"I suppose some people consider it an accomplishment to walk a little picket fence, Hayate," she said, loud enough for Ginga and I to hear. "But I knew of a girl in Marysville who could walk the ridgepole of a roof."

Ginga tensed up at Nanoha's words, as I just stood dumbfounded, not quite understanding what was going on. "I don't believe it," Ginga replied. "You sure couldn't, newbie," she countered in Nanoha's direction.

"Oh, couldn't I?" Nanoha retorted.

I became nervous, not liking where this conversation was headed. "It's a little risky, don't you think, Nanoha?" I stated.

"Is it indeed, Fate-chan?" she replied sarcastically to me.

"I dare you!" Ginga challenged. "I dare you to walk the ridgepole of Subaru's kitchen roof."

Nanoha paused for just a second, before turning to look at the two-story house we were all gathered in front of. She spotted a ladder on the side of the house, leading up to the pitched roof above us. She immediately ran over and started climbing up, as Hayate tried to protest her friend's actions.

"I shall walk that ridgepole... or perish," Nanoha informed Hayate dramatically. Hayate stood helpless from below, looking up at Nanoha as she climbed onto the roof, holding on to the chimney in front of her. She made her way around the chimney, and now stood in front of the railing that was set along the pitched apex.

Nanoha looked down directly at me for a moment, and I saw nervousness enter into her eyes. I plead to her with my eyes in return, silently asking her to not follow through with the dangerous task. She turned her head away from me, her pride seemingly getting the best of her judgment.

She began walking along the narrow railing, her arms extended as she wobbled back and forth across it with each step. She was about halfway across the roof when she began to fall in the direction we were all standing, and I was prepared to catch her if she did end up toppling over. She over-corrected as she tried to right herself again, propelling her down the roof in the opposite direction from where we were.

We all started running to the other side of the house immediately, hearing a _thud _as Nanoha hit the ground before we could round the corner. She seemed to have fallen into some shrubs and plants that were next to the house, and Hayate was the first to reach her on the ground.

"Nanoha! Oh, Nanoha! Have you been killed?!" she cried, hovering over her. "Just say one word and tell me if you're killed!"

"No..." Nanoha replied slowly, apparently in a daze from the fall. "But I think... I've been rendered unconscious."

I stifled a laugh as I bent down to assist her into a sitting position. Nanoha stood up, pulling away from me and brushing off her dress. "Thank you, Fate-chan," she said to me briskly, before beginning to hobble away from the group.

Hayate caught up to her first, and I followed closely on her other side. "Nanoha, I'll call a carriage and help you home," I told her.

"That won't be necessary," she told me, not looking in my direction. She was limping badly and holding one of her hands against her stomach, but she was still allowing her pride to halt my attempts to help her. "I'm quite capable of going home on my own," she then told me.

"At least let me give you a hand," I tried further, grabbing her arm to try to stop her. She immediately pulled it away from me.

"Thank you, Fate-chan," she said in a cold voice. "But I am going in the opposite direction." Nanoha continued walking as fast as she could, making her way to the gate to exit the farm. Hayate caught up with her after a few feet, but I let her go, not wanting to push myself on her anymore if she didn't want my help.

Ginga walked up behind me. "Let's just go, Fate," she said. I looked over my shoulder at her and then nodded, turning my back to Nanoha's retreating form and walking away.

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

**Fate POV**

My eyes flew open as my alarm clock sounded, pulling me out of the vivid dream, almost painfully. I sat up in my bed quickly, replaying the expressions Nanoha had on her face as she rejected my help. It seemed as if she was silently asking for my assistance after she was injured, but her pride would not allow her to say it verbally to me. I scolded myself for not being stronger in my dream for her, but before I could dwell on it any longer, I realized I needed to get ready for school.

I collected my books quickly, shoving them into my backpack. I placed some food and other provisions into it as well, preparing for the mission that was going to commence immediately after school. I was out the front door of my house earlier than usual, as I was hoping to catch up with Hayate and the rest of the group before school started that day. I ran all the way to campus, heading straight for the clubroom to see if anyone else was there.

I was surprised to see that everyone involved with the mission was present in the clubroom, excluding Shamal. Hayate turned to me with a panicked look in her eyes.

"Fate! We have a problem," she told me quickly as I entered the room. "Shamal just called from the hospital. Shiro woke up from the coma last night. It's great that he is okay of course, but the plans for the engagement and wedding are now happening even faster."

"What, why?!" I shouted, looking nervously to Signum. She was staring at the floor, unable to return my gaze.

"Because they are claiming that the explosion was a malicious act, and they are trying to find evidence to accuse your mother of it," Hayate continued. "Shamal said that Shiro wants to 'secure Nanoha's future', in case something else happens to him."

I threw my hands up to my face. "This... isn't happening..." I muttered, feeling my world crashing down all around me.

"Don't worry, Fate," Ginga said, coming over to give me a hug. "We are going now, okay? We aren't waiting until after school to start the mission."

I nodded my head, and then looked around gratefully at everyone standing in front of me. "Thank you, everyone," I told them.

"_Ahem!_" I heard come from behind me. I froze, remembering the distinct throat clearing from a few days prior. "I didn't just hear what I think I just did, correct?" the voice then said from behind me.

We all turned to see Lindy standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed. "I came to check and see how everyone was doing, after I heard the news of the accident last night. I didn't expect to hear of any plan that required skipping school, though."

"Lindy-san, please," Hayate began, approaching her. "There is a big problem. Nanoha is going to be married off to some guy she doesn't even know!"

Lindy shook her head. "I doubt that the wedding would be today," she informed us. "It is not pressing enough to warrant everyone missing class." I slumped down in the chair at her words, feeling as if every minute I wasted was pushing Nanoha farther away from me.

"But Precia is being set up to take the fall for the explosion!" Ginga added, desperation entering her voice.

"Precia?" Lindy asked, her voice raising a little as repeated my mother's name.

"I see..." she then said slowly to herself. "Okay, everyone, I will make a few phone calls to some people I know down at the station. I will see if I can find out anything about your mother's situation, Fate. But everyone _has_ to go to class, understood?"

We all reluctantly agreed, beginning to make our way out of the clubroom and down the stairs into the courtyard. Teana and Subaru broke off from the group to head to their classroom, and Hayate walked with Signum in the opposite direction as well. I walked with Ginga in the center path of the courtyard, suddenly coming to a stop in the middle of it. Ginga noticed me after a few steps, and then turned to look back at me in confusion.

"I'm going," I told her simply.

"Going?" she repeated. "Going where?"

"After Nanoha. Right now. I'm not waiting," I informed her.

Ginga smiled. "Are you sure about that Fate? You will probably get expelled," she mentioned.

I shrugged. "My mother is about to go to jail, and the girl I love is about to be married to someone else. I think I know where my priorities should be, and it's not at school."

Ginga turned, placing her arm around my shoulder as she grinned wider, and we began walking to the front entrance of the school together. "Hayate is going to kill me..." she joked. "So, race you to the hospital?" she dared me.

I shifted my bag on my shoulder and prepared to run. "You know it!" I replied.

**oOOOo**

"Do you see her?" Ginga asked me quietly, peeking around the corner of the hallway at the hospital.

I shook my head, examining the large group of people milling around the front of the ICU ward. Ginga and I had snuck into this secured section of the hospital, and we had stopped behind a corner when we saw Nanoha's mother in the hallway in a crowd. We figured the large group was in front of Shiro's hospital room, as they all looked like they could be Takamachi's. Ginga was crouched below me as I was just above her, both of us peering around the wall at the same time.

"I don't know where she is..." I replied, still searching the crowd.

"You don't know where _who_ is?" a voice came from above us.

Ginga and I both jumped and looked up immediately, surprised to see Nanoha standing over us, looking around the corner as well. She then pulled back and smiled down at Ginga and me.

"Nanoha!" I cried, and then quickly covered my mouth, thinking I may have been too loud.

She shook her head, and then retrieved two unopened soda cans from the floor beside us. "Here," she said, handing one to each of us. "I've been watching you two for a while. I thought you would be better at this kind of thing," she teased.

I smiled as I looked at the vending machine directly across from us, realizing she must had been been behind us for a least a few minutes, and had probably made a lot of noise as she bought the drinks from the vending machine.

"Maybe we should just retire," Ginga laughed at herself, opening up the soda and taking a sip.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" Nanoha then asked us, her smile now fading.

I stood up to face her and tried to speak, but found that I couldn't say anything to her, with her now standing right in front of me. She studied my pained eyes, seeing in them that I knew everything. She looked away and crossed her arms over her chest, and I watched her tap one of her thumbs against her arm nervously.

"Is it true?" Ginga asked from the floor beside me.

"Yeah, I guess," Nanoha replied. She then turned to look back up at me, her eyes brimming with tears. "I was trying to protect you from being hurt, Fate-chan," she told me.

"I don't need protection," I replied, finally finding my voice. "I need you, Nanoha."

She stepped back a little from me. "I had a dream about us last night," she said to me, completely out of the blue.

I turned my head to the side. "A dream? What was it about?"

She paused for a moment, and then glared at me as she began to recall the details.

"You were such a _jerk_ in it, Fate-chan!" she yelled suddenly, and punched me hard in my arm.

"I can't control what you dream!" I shouted in response, grabbing the wound she just inflicted. "And I had a dream too, and you were a stubborn brat in mine!"

She pouted at me. "Probably because you were a jerk in that dream, too!" she countered.

Ginga stood up and came between us. "Why did you bring up the dream, Nanoha?" she asked.

"Because..." she began, now looking away from us. "It seemed like it was telling me that I wasn't supposed to let you help me right now, Fate-chan."

I laughed a little. "It's almost like we had the same dream," I said bitterly. "I wasn't allowed to help you in mine, either."

"Nanoha?" a voice suddenly came from behind us. We turned to see Nanoha's mother, Momoko, who had just rounded the corner to face where we were all standing.

"Mom!" Nanoha answered nervously.

"What's going on here, Nanoha?" her mother then asked, her eyes darting between Ginga, her, and I. She was beginning to look angry at all of us.

"Momoko-san, is there a problem?" another voice came from behind the corner. We all watched a blond-haired boy come to stand beside Nanoha's mother. "Oh, hi! Are you friends of Nanoha's?" he asked politely.

Ginga began to panic, starting to back down the hallway. "Let's just go, Fate. This isn't going like it was planned."

I looked over at Nanoha, who was staring down at the floor now, and then looked back over at the boy.

"I'm Yuuno," he said, extending his hand towards me. "Nanoha's fiance," he then added with a smile. I narrowed my eyes at him for a moment in silence, as I allowed his statement to sink in.

I then shook my head. "No... You're not," I replied coldly to him. I turned to face Nanoha and picked her up bridal style, and I began to run down the hallway.

"Screw that stupid dream," I told her, smiling at her.

She laughed. "Yeah, I agree completely," was her reply. Ginga ran in front of us, opening the door to the stairwell at the end of the hallway. Before we reached it, I turned to look back to see that Momoko and Yuuno were not pursuing us, and his hand was still frozen in midair.

"Fate-chan?" Nanoha said into my ear, getting my attention. She kissed me for a few seconds before turning to look through the doorway. "It's kinda like we just got married!" she added playfully, alluding to the way I was carrying her, as we were about to cross the threshold of the doorway.

I ran through it and started heading down the stairs, with Ginga now following behind us. "Have I ever told you my views on marriage?" I asked her with a frown, as I turned the corner to the next flight of stairs.

She glared at me. "The only correct view is that you will be marrying me, Fate-chan," she informed me.

I turned down the last flight of stairs. "Okay, I guess..." I replied, feigning disappointment.

"You'd _better_ marry me," she warned, before kissing my cheek with a smile. Ginga ran ahead of us on the stairs and pushed open the door at the base of the stairwell. We quickly exited through it to the outside, now running away from the hospital together as fast as we could.

* * *

**A/N**: I should tell everyone, I will NEVER write Yuuno successfully being with Nanoha in any sort of romantic relationship. Never ever ever. Ever. It is difficult for me to even hint around at it in my stories, since I am so Team NanoFate for life. I respect other people's wishes to pair them in their stories of course, but I won't do it in anything that I write. Ever. ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ Well, until next time! ~Nissanity~


	16. Chapter 16 - Wag the Dog

**A/N: **So Fate and Nanoha have finally started controlling their own destinies, choosing to be together no matter what the Fates throw at them. But I couldn't just leave it at that, right? The goal now is to make Fate and Nanoha be the most badass Romeo and Juliet I possibly can in the next set of chapters. Let's see how it goes, yes?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 16 – ****__****Wag the Dog**

* * *

******Fate POV**

"Um, Fate-chan, my love?" Nanoha began, playing with the ends of my hair.

"Yes, Nanoha, my love?" I replied.

"Fate-chan, my dear..." she continued, cupping my cheek with her hand and looking into my eyes. "You can put me down now," she finally said.

I pouted. "But I'm not done sweeping you off your feet yet."

"Trust me, I'm swept," she assured me with a laugh. "And you're getting tired."

I stopped running and put Nanoha down so that she could stand up on her own. We had just reached the parking lot at the hospital, and I was trying not to look like I was breathing too hard after carrying her for so long, even though I was pretty winded.

"That was impressive. The stamina to do that, I mean," Nanoha said.

I nodded. "Yeah... we had to do a lot of that sort of thing in training," I replied.

She gave me a quizzical look. "Okay seriously, what is this training you guys talk about?" she asked.

I grinned. "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough," I teased.

Nanoha glared at me, but before she could ask anything else, we noticed a blond-haired woman crossing the parking lot in front of us.

"Shamal!" Nanoha called, getting her attention. Shamal waved at us, and turned to start walking quickly in our direction.

"I'm so glad you guys are here!" she said, and then squinted at us. "Wait, what are you two doing here?" she then asked, looking at Ginga and me.

I rubbed the back of my neck and looked away. "Oh, you know, just a little kidnapping... is all..."

Shamal raised her eyebrows at me while pointing at Nanoha at the same time. I nodded, and Shamal gave me a big hug. "Oh, thank god!" she said, sounding relieved. "You shouldn't have been forced to marry that boy, Nanoha. But there are some things you all need to know. Serious things."

"We shouldn't talk here then," I told her, looking around. "Hey Ginga, can we go to your house? We probably shouldn't go to mine, and Nanoha's house is definitely out."

Ginga nodded. "Yeah, sure. My mom is flying back this afternoon, so I should probably clean up before she gets home anyway."

I started grinning wildly. "Quint's coming back?!" I exclaimed. I paused when I saw Nanoha looking at me curiously. "Quint is my aunt. My mom's sister," I told her happily.

"She also adopted Teana when she was ten," Ginga added. "So, she is basically Teana's mother, too."

We had walked to Shamal's car during our conversation, and she unlocked the doors for us, allowing us to enter her vehicle. Shamal was driving, with Ginga in the front seat, and Nanoha and I in the back. I sat behind Ginga, and Nanoha sat close to me in the middle, taking my hand in hers. She looked at me happily, and then cuddled her face into my neck and shoulder for a moment.

Shamal eyed us in the rear view mirror. "I seriously don't understand what Shiro was thinking..." she commented, shaking her head. Ginga was too busy entering her address into Shamal's GPS navigation system to notice us.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Are you talking about Nanoha's engagement?"

She nodded, glancing between the back window and us as she pulled out of her parking spot. "Well, yes, in a way. After you guys left last night, I went to go have a word with Yuuno's father about the situation. He wasn't there at the hospital at the time, but I did have a chance to talk to Yuuno instead."

The expression on my face must have shown jealousy or a similar type of distressed emotion, because Nanoha suddenly placed her hands along my cheeks and turned my head so that I was looking directly at her.

"Fate-chan, listen to me," she began gently. "I have never once even spoken to that boy, let alone been in the same room with him. I was in my father's hospital room with my family all night, trying to convince him to break the engagement, after he came out of the coma. It didn't work of course, but..."

I nodded. "It's okay, Nanoha," I told her. "I trust you completely. The thought of losing you still hurts, is all."

She kissed me softly for a moment, and then pushed my bangs out of my eyes. "I can't ask for forgiveness for something I didn't have any control over," she said, "but I can keep trying to reassure you of what I've said before. I'm yours, Fate-chan, and nothing will ever change that."

Ginga started laughing. "Man... Yuuno never stood a chance!" she said, grinning back at us.

Shamal smiled too. "Yeah, but I wouldn't worry about that too much, Fate. He wasn't marrying Nanoha because he was attracted to her or anything."

"Wait, what?!" Nanoha cried out, looking down at herself. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"No, Nanoha, that's not what I meant!" Shamal exclaimed. "He told me he was agreeing to marry you because he felt the need to protect you."

"From me... right?" I asked quietly, looking down at my lap.

"Well, that was Shiro's reason, honestly," Shamal replied. "Apparently, _someone_ broke into the mansion after a certain masquerade ball and climbed up Nanoha's balcony, without any regard for security cameras pointed all over the grounds."

I grimaced as Nanoha turned and peered at me. "You didn't even try to hide?! Seriously, how bad are you at this spy stuff?"

"Breaking and entering isn't my strong suite, okay!" I blurted out. "And I had a lot on my mind that night!"

"Nanoha?" Shamal continued, not faltered by our outbursts. "What do you know about the merger exactly?"

"Not too much," she answered. "I haven't even met the man who is the head of the company that my dad is merging with. I just know his name is... Jail, Scagli - - something."

"JAIL SCAGLIETTI?!" Ginga and I both screamed at the same time. Ginga started to panic, looking wildly around the car with huge eyes. She even tried to pull the handle on the car door next to her a few times, but thankfully the automatic locks were engaged.

"Ginga! GINGA!" I shouted. "Calm down! This is bad, yes. But we have to remain level-headed."

"I would have punched Yuuno in the FACE if I had known that he was Jail's son sooner!" Ginga declared angrily.

"Whoa, whoa!" Shamal cried. "That's the part I was getting to next. Yuuno told me that he thinks his father is a dangerous man, and he was afraid for Nanoha's safety after what happened to Shiro. He thought if he agreed to marry her, she might be safe."

"Wait a minute!" Nanoha suddenly yelled. "Are you saying that this Jail guy might have done something to my father?"

"Nanoha," I said from beside her, "we probably shouldn't jump to any conclusions. The explosion still could have been an accident. But, we also shouldn't let our guard down, either."

"But my family is still there at the hospital with him, Fate-chan!" Nanoha's face began to look more alarmed, and her skin was beginning to pale.

I looked up at the ceiling of the car, trying to think of what to do next. It was important that Nanoha's family remained in the dark about what Jail was capable of, so as not to place themselves in any more danger. But I also understood her concern for her family completely.

"Why is this Jail guy so bad?" Shamal asked Ginga and I.

I sighed. "He and my mother used to be rivals in Italy, where they were both studying biogenetics at the university together. Honestly, he is just a nutcase. Last I heard, he had these crazy teenaged girls running around as his security force."

"Our family does everything we can to stay away from him," Ginga added. "But every once in a while we catch him trying to screw us over. We have always stopped him before he can get too far, though. And it seems that over the past few years, he has possibly started resorting to terrorist acts to get what he wants."

"_You have arrived at your destination,_" the voice from Shamal's GPS announced. We all exited Shamal's car and made our way inside of Ginga's house, grabbing some drinks from the kitchen before heading into the living room together.

"So now what?" Nanoha asked, sitting down on the edge of the couch in the living room. She crossed her arms and legs nervously, her foot bouncing up and down.

"We need to modify the plan we came up with last night," I responded. "Before we were going to just poke around at the laboratory, to see if we could find something to help my mother prove her innocence. But now, we need to find something more concrete about what happened. If Jail is behind this, he is probably trying to set my mother up as a scapegoat. So now, it's our family's problem too."

"We can't be obvious about it though," Ginga mentioned. "I bet Jail has his people all over that lab, making sure no one finds out anything."

"Well, if he does have his security there now, it would be more proof he had something to do with the explosion." I paused, and then started grinning a little. "We should probably do some reconnaissance first," I added.

Ginga smiled in return. "Well, that is just an excellent idea, Fate!" she responded.

Nanoha looked back and forth between us. "What? What is that all about?" she asked nervously.

I stood up and held out my hand to her, smiling broadly. "Come on, I'll show you," I told her.

**oOOOo**

Ginga was busy gathering some items from her mother's home office upstairs with Shamal's help, while Nanoha and I stood outside the garage door of the house. I unlocked the handle in the middle, as well as the padlock that was attached near the wall. I pulled the garage door up, and immediately walked inside to the nearest wall, to disengage the security system. I turned on the light switch next to the keypad afterward.

"Oh, holy hell!" Nanoha gasped, seeing the contents inside the garage. Lined up perfectly in the middle were three sport motorcycles, with all the accessories and gear needed to maintain them arranged around the garage walls. My bike was glossy black with red and yellow accents. Next to mine was Ginga's motorcycle, purple with a few splashes of pink here and there. Teana's dark orange and black bike was at the end of the row.

"What do you think, huh?!" I asked Nanoha gleefully. I pulled down two black helmets from the shelf above me, handing one to her.

Nanoha looked at the helmet skeptically, and then back up at me, only raising her eyebrows in response.

"Hey, don't give me that look! High speed chases are my specialty," I teased with a shrug, although there was more truth behind that statement than I was willing to admit to Nanoha at the moment.

Nanoha silently placed the helmet on the table next to her, and began walking out of the garage. I laughed a little and placed my helmet next to hers as well, before walking over to my bike and mounting it. I turned the key, revving the engine loudly as I started it.

Nanoha stopped in the middle of the driveway, and quickly turned around to face me. She then began walking back to where I was slowly, and I leaned onto the handlebars, enjoying the new expression on her face that I had never seen before.

She walked up to the front of the motorcycle, placing a leg on either side of the front wheel, before resting her hands on each of my knees. I leaned back a little, and she moved so that her face was just inches from mine.

"You look incredibly sexy on that, Fate-chan," she told me. "How am I supposed to keep my hands off of you now?" She then looked me up and down slowly, pausing a few extra moments as she studied my chest.

I could feel my mouth open a little in surprise. "Well, nobody said you _had_ to..." I finally responded softly, moving my lips closer to hers.

"Seriously, you guys are relentless!" I heard Ginga's voice come from behind Nanoha. "Shamal, we can't leave them alone for five minutes, I swear!" she scoffed.

Nanoha raised up as she turned around and stepped away from the bike, blushing a little. I killed the engine quickly, and lowered my head onto my arms that were still leaned across the handle bars in embarrassment.

I felt something tap against the top of my head. "Here, put this on, Fate," Ginga said. I raised my head back up to see her holding an earpiece with a small microphone attached to the cord, with the plug leading into a radio transceiver. I grabbed it and inserted the earpiece, turning the power switch on the box.

"What channel?" I asked her.

"Two," she replied, hooking her pack to her belt behind her back. She then took the extra pack that Shamal was holding, and started affixing it to Nanoha.

"You don't have to press any buttons. Just talk when you want to," Ginga instructed her. Nanoha giggled a little as she attached the pack on the side of her pants, tickling her.

"We will leave our mics open as we drive," I told Nanoha. "We will have them tucked into our helmets though, to avoid too much wind noise. Just try not to breath into the mic too much, or it get's annoying for everyone else."

"I wish Teana were here," Ginga said suddenly, looking at the orange bike. "Hayate and Subaru, too."

"Hey, they will be after school," I reassured her. "Right now, we just have to make sure we know what we are all getting into. You wouldn't want Hayate to get hurt because we were unprepared, right?"

"She already did get hurt," Ginga reminded me sadly.

I paused for a moment. "Ginga, so will a lot more people if we don't do this right. So let's focus, okay?"

Nanoha grabbed our two helmets from the table where we had set them earlier. "Fate-chan, help me put mine on," she requested.

I moved my hair out and over my shoulders, and placed my helmet on first. "Okay, take this strap here," I began, pulling down on the left one as an example, "and weave it through the rings like this." She watched me closely, and then took her hair out of her side ponytail, before putting her helmet on as well.

She quickly began struggling with the straps, and eventually I just told her to hold still. She leaned her head back a little and I adjusted the straps for her, tightening them in the end. After she looked back down at me, I bopped the top of her helmet playfully. Her eyes flashed, and she slapped the side of my helmet hard in return. I glared back, and slammed the face shield on her helmet shut. Before she could retaliate again, Shamal came from behind her and grabbed her arms.

"I don't know what to make of you two sometimes," Shamal cried. "Either way, you two shouldn't be left alone together, period."

Ginga started her motorcycle beside me. "I know, right?" she agreed loudly. "Those Takamachi women, I swear!"

Nanoha climbed on the back of my bike, setting her body closer to mine. "You think Testarossa women are any better?" she countered, her voice now in our ears.

"Nope!" Ginga and I both responded in union. "But we do have some fun toys," I added, restarting the engine on my bike.

Nanoha wrapped her arms around my stomach, squeezing tightly. "Just don't get me killed, Fate-chan," she warned me.

I shut the visor to my helmet. "I'll do my best," I responded. "You ready, Ginga?"

Ginga disengaged the kickstand and steadied her motorcycle under her, checking her helmet one last time. "I am now," she confirmed. "Lead the way, Nanoha."

**oOOOo**

"This is bad," I said slowly, pulling up to the curb a street away from the laboratory. "Your father must be a super human to have survived that, Nanoha."

"He is, almost," she replied quietly. I felt her arms tighten around me. "I don't recognize any of those people, Fate-chan," she added, referring to the girls in security uniforms milling around outside of the laboratory. Some of them had automatic weapons as they stood guard in front.

"That's them. The 'Numbers'. I count six total outside," I said.

"Me too," Ginga responded. "There's probably just as many inside. I don't even understand why the police.. aren't..." She then trailed off, seeing a man with long purple hair and a white lab coat exit the side of the building, where the explosion had cut a hole right through it.

"I think I feel sick," Nanoha said. I felt her rest her helmet against my back.

I paused for a moment, trying to fully process everything in front of me. "We won't be able to access the building with them around like that. We are going to have to approach this a few different ways," I concluded.

"We will need the schematics of the building, then," Ginga replied. "Lots of mapping of routes internally, as well as on the streets."

"What are you guys going to do?" Nanoha asked.

"Well, first what we are going to do is tell the other girls to go ahead and leave school," I responded. "We can't plan this out without them, especially Teana."

I saw Ginga drop and shake her head slowly. "Lindy-san is going to murder us," she said with a small laugh.

"That reminds me, I need to contact her when we get back, to see how things are going with my mother. After the other girls leave school, of course," I added.

I felt Nanoha shift her weight behind me, and I looked back to see that she had retrieved her cell phone from her pocket. She began typing in a message and after a moment, she lowered her phone. "I told Hayate to meet up at your house at lunch, Ginga. And to tell Teana and Subaru to come, too."

Ginga suddenly jerked back a little, and then I saw her start patting around her jeans. She finally reached into her pocket and retrieved her cell phone. She slid the power button on and pressed a few buttons, pausing as she read the screen. "My mom's plane just landed! She must have caught an early flight!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up.

I kicked up the stand on my bike. "Alright, let's get back before she does. We still have to try to clean your house, Ginga."

**oOOOo**

The three of us raced back to Ginga's house, and once we arrived we noticed that Shamal's car was no longer there. We secured the bikes in the garage, and as we approached the front door, we discovered a note from her taped to it. It simply said that she was headed back to the hospital, to see if there was anything she could do there on her end.

Ginga mentioned that she would tackle the living room, and Nanoha and I offered to clean the kitchen. I had just finished filling up the sink to wash dishes when Nanoha came to stand next to me, grabbing a glass from the dirty pile.

"Fate-chan," she began, washing the glass. "I want to say thanks... for helping my family out."

I laughed. "I could hear my mother now. '_Only I am allowed to take down Shiro and his corporation_'," I mimicked in a well practiced voice. I took the glass from Nanoha's hand and rinsed it to remove the soap suds, before picking up a towel to start drying it.

"And Quint?" Nanoha questioned further. "What's her story?"

I heard the vacuum cleaner kick on in the other room, so I knew it was okay to talk without Ginga hearing me. "Quint also worked at your father's lab during the accident," I told her. "She didn't receive the blame as much, but she also knew it wasn't my mother's fault. So she changed careers after the accident, and has been helping train us to do what we do since we were kids."

"I take it Alicia's death is a motivating factor in all of this?" Nanoha pressed further, although I noticed she hadn't looked directly at me in a while.

"It's the sole factor for my mother," I replied. "And I feel mostly the same way, which is why I work as hard as I do on this. Except, I can see past Alicia's death to other things, but my mother never has been able to. Quint, though, she lost a daughter as well. Ginga's younger sister."

Nanoha paused, a soapy cup now suspended mid air. "How could your family even stand all this?" she asked quietly, a few tears brimming in her eyes.

I shook my head. "There really wasn't much else we could do, except try to clear our names and avenge our sister's deaths." I told her. "T-They never found my cousin's body, and that has been one of the worst things. She had been with the same caretaker with Alicia that day, but they think the explosion... Well, anyway, Quint never had a sense of closure for her daughter, you know?"

We heard the front door of the house open, and then close again after a few moments, and the cheerful voices of our friends now filled the front hallway and living room. I heard Hayate go greet Ginga in the other room, and Teana and Subaru made their way to the kitchen.

Teana came to my side of the kitchen counter, leaning her back against it next to me and crossing her arms. "I heard you started the job without me," she said, pretending to sulk.

"We did," I confirmed. "But we couldn't get anywhere without you. It's a good thing you're the smart one, Teana, or else we wouldn't get anything accomplished."

"Yeah, well, I'd rather do the computer work than get all greasy with the mechanical stuff you do," she replied.

"Mechanical stuff?" Subaru piped up excitedly. "You mean, like cars?!"

I grinned. "Something like that!" I replied. I then looked down woefully at the sink full of dishes, eventually glancing over at Nanoha a few times.

"Oh, just go!" she said after a moment, bumping me in the shoulder away from the sink.

"Thanks, Nanoha!" I exclaimed, bending over and kissing her on the cheek. "I owe you one. Come on, Subaru, let's head to the garage!"

"What are we going to do with them?" I heard Nanoha ask Teana, as Subaru and I entered the door to the garage from the kitchen.

"So do you know a lot about cars, Subaru?" I asked her, as I walked into the dark garage to disengage the security system once again.

"Yeah, my dad and I work on - - oh my god, those are so cool!" she cried from the doorway, once I had turned on the light in the garage.

She ran over to the three bikes in the middle of the room, taking in the details of all of them. She paused when she looked over to Teana's bike. "That's Tea's, right?"

"Yep!" I replied, tossing her the key. "Usually I do all the checks on it for her, but you are more than welcome to this time."

Subaru nodded. "So yeah, my dad and I have always worked on remodeling cars together. I say 'dad', but he actually adopted me when I was two. But I've always considered him my father."

She turned Teana's bike on and revved the engine, immediately frowning and shutting it off. She bent down and starting looking at the screws on the switch box housing and the bolt on the brake lever, and then glanced around the room at the tools.

"Her cables are sticking. It's dangerous..." she mentioned, although she seemed to be speaking more to herself. She found a socket set and lubricant from the shelf, and began removing the bolt with a socket wrench.

"What happened to your biological family?" I asked her, starting to check the cables on my own bike.

"I don't know, honestly," she replied. "I don't remember them at all. I don't even remember the accident, just growing up afterward. His name is Genya Nakajima, by the way. My dad. He is like a brother to Shiro, and they consider us family."

"That was good of him," I mentioned, before hearing a car door slam from outside.

"Oh, I hope that's Quint!" I told Subaru, dropping my tools. "Make sure you check that your gear fits too, Subaru. I'll be back in a few minutes."

I ran through the garage door and into the living room, seeing Quint hugging Ginga and Teana happily, with Hayate looking on. "Quint!" I yelled, tackling her from behind.

"Fate!" she replied, swinging her arm around my shoulders. "It's so good to finally be back with my girls," she said warmly, placing her chin on Ginga's head.

I saw Nanoha standing in the doorway of the kitchen, and I immediately ran over and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards my aunt. "Quint, this is Nanoha!" I told her proudly. "Nanoha, this is my aunt."

They shook hands. "Who would have ever thought, huh?" Quint said to her, alluding to the family feud, I figured. She was smiling at Nanoha though. "So what were you up to just now, Fate?" she then asked.

"Subaru and I were just making adjustments to the bikes," I replied. As if on cue, I heard her rev Teana's motorcycle loudly from the garage.

"Well, I know you girls have a lot of prep to do, so you should get to it," Quint said. "I'll meet you in the garage in a few minutes, Fate."

Nanoha squeezed my hand. "Hayate and I have to talk about the layout of the laboratory, Fate-chan. You should continue playing with your toys, though."

"You really are the best girlfriend, you know?" I said happily to her.

She pretended to frown. "I don't ever remember agreeing to that?"

"If you are going to make me marry you in the future," I informed her, "then you have to be my girlfriend now. It's only fair."

"_Tsk_, I guess. You're so demanding," she teased.

I ran back to the garage, and Ginga followed behind me. I continued tuning up my bike, while Ginga bent down to start inspecting hers. We knew the bikes had to be in the best shape possible for the job that afternoon. I then pointed out the helmets that Teana and Subaru would be wearing, and Subaru was trying hers on when we heard the garage door open.

"Hey, Quint!" I called out as she walked in. "It looks like everything is going well here. That's Subaru, by the way," I told her. Subaru gave my aunt a goofy wave, her face concealed by the tinted face mask of the helmet.

"Hi," Subaru's muffled voice replied.

Quint was suddenly motionless in the middle of the garage, staring over at Subaru, her skin paling a little. Subaru paused in return, her body language now indicating confusion.

"Aunt Quint?" I ventured.

My aunt slowly walked over to Subaru, and silently reached her hand up to push the button to open her helmet shield. She stepped back a moment, and then removed the helmet completely from Subaru's head.

"It can't be..." Quint whispered, and I saw a few tears fall from her eyes, as the helmet dropped to her side. "Who are you?" she asked her quietly.

Subaru looked even more confused. "Subaru Nakajima?" she replied.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Ginga asked, raising up from the bike slowly.

"Oh my god!" I yelled in sudden realization, putting my hand over my mouth. I glanced between the three women in the garage. "How could we have missed it before?"

"Missed what?" Ginga asked, looking at me oddly.

"Subaru was adopted after the accident by her dad. She doesn't know what happened to her family before it," I informed Ginga and Quint. "Subaru... my aunt thought she lost her youngest daughter in the accident. She would have been about your age now," I added.

Subaru slowly stumbled backwards a few steps, tripping over the toolbox she had sitting beside the bike. She never took her eyes off of Quint when she fell though, the shock of the situation rendering her speechless. Ginga seemed no better off, staring dumbfounded at the girl who may have been her sister right in front of her for almost a week.

I quickly made my way over to Subaru to help her stand up. "Okay, let's not jump to too many conclusions," I said. "We will know by the end of the day I'm sure, after we do this job."

My comment seemed to snap Quint out of her daze. "Yes, you're right, Fate," she replied, now smiling. "We won't mention it to the other girls yet, just in case. Teana has the blueprints for the lab pulled up in the living room, so when you girls are ready, head on up." She ruffled Subaru's hair affectionately, and then exited the garage.

"I think she is giving you space for a minute, Subaru," I said to her, after Quint had closed the garage door behind her.

Subaru nodded and looked down, and I noticed her shoulders starting to move as she cried quietly. Ginga walked over to her and gave her a hug. Subaru returned the embrace, and the two potential sisters held each other silently for a few minutes, as I began to clean up the garage a little bit .

"Are you ready?" Ginga then asked Subaru gently, pulling back to look at her directly. Subaru nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes and then smiling.

The three of us exited the garage and headed into the living room where everyone was gathered. Teana had her laptop hooked up to the flat screen television, and I noticed the basement floor layout of the laboratory was displayed. Nanoha and Hayate were sitting on their knees at the coffee table, discussing the passwords and security codes that they knew around the facility. Quint was standing next to the television, studying the layout on the screen.

Subaru walked directly over to Quint after entering the living room, and hugged her in the middle of the room. Quint was surprised for a moment, and then held her in return, rocking her softly back and forth and kissing the top of her head. Ginga cried a little as Teana, Hayate, and Nanoha looked on confused.

I sat down next to Nanoha. "I'll tell you guys after the job, okay?" I said to her and Hayate. They both nodded.

Teana stared at her friend and adopted mother for a moment, and then continued on with her task. "Fate, we have been coming up with a plan to get inside, and what we are going to do when we are in there. Unfortunately, you and Ginga will probably have the most dangerous part in the plan."

"Not a problem," I replied. I saw Nanoha turn and look away after my response, but she didn't say anything.

I leaned over to her. "I'll be safe, I promise," I whispered in her ear. She nodded, but she was still unable to look at me.

"The main goal is to gain remote access to the computers in the laboratory," Quint continued. "We are assuming that Jail hasn't changed the passwords yet, so he won't raise suspicion with any employees. But we can see him monitor any changes he is probably making to the system. We have to create the connection undetected though, so we will have to have a team sneak in to make it happen."

"There are quite a few armed guards around, so we will have to create a diversion to pull them all away, right?" I guessed.

"Yes, that's where you and Ginga come in, Fate," Quint replied. "And... Nanoha," she added.

Nanoha's head shot up. "Me? What am I going to do?"

Quint walked over to Teana's laptop and double-clicked the mouse, now pulling up a picture of Jail on the screen. "Nanoha, Hayate has already confirmed with your Aunt Shamal that Yuuno and and your mother have not told anyone of what happened this morning. Jail doesn't know that the engagement is off, and neither does Shiro."

"Okay?" Nanoha questioned, now growing more skeptical.

"Jail is not going to walk away from the lab so easily right now," Quint responded. "You're job will be to get him away from there before we start. There is a coffee shop nearby, and you are going to try to convince him to go there with you, as his potential daughter-in-law."

"I have to go have coffee with the man who tried to kill my father?!" Nanoha exclaimed, her face distraught.

"Exactly," Quink replied, looking at her steadily.

Nanoha looked over at the screen, seemingly struggling with the thought of facing the man. I saw her features harden as she stared at his picture, and her resolve to avenge her father seemed to set in. She eventually turned back to Quint, and nodded her head in agreement.

"Alright everyone, it's time to start finalizing the details. Go get something to eat, and get ready to memorize your roles. We go in three hours," Quint announced to the group.

* * *

**A/N:** The next chapters took a lot of planning. I hope it all works out okay :) Until next time! ~Nissanity~


	17. Chapter 17 - Devil May Care

**A/N: **Another longer than usual chapter, with lots happening once again. Or as always, maybe? In response to **Kumi –**

Testarossa's are: Fate, Ginga, Teana, Precia, Quint

Takamachi's are: Nanoha, Hayate, Signum, Shamal, Shiro, Momoko, and Subaru (although Subaru just found out she is Quint's daughter, making her a Testarossa also)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor or any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 17 – ****__****Devil May Care**

* * *

******Fate POV**

"Who has eyes on Nanoha?" I asked, my voice ringing through everyone's earpieces.

"I do," Teana replied. "She is approaching Jail now, outside of the lab."

"Let's hope this works," Ginga said, her voice full of anticipation. "We will have to resort to Plan B if it doesn't."

I adjusted the straps of the backpack I had on, making sure it was secured firmly for the upcoming ride. I then sat back on the seat and raised my head, looking to the sky above me. "It will work," I tried to reassure everyone over the transceivers. "Nanoha will do it, I promise."

"Alright, it looks like she convinced him to go with her," Teana suddenly said. "They are heading towards the parking garage."

"What are they driving?" I asked.

"A Black Lexus. Last three of the plate are XH4." Teana paused for a moment. "They are heading north, towards the coffee shop. Get ready to intercept, Fate."

"Got it," I replied, starting up the engine to my bike. I was hidden behind an abandoned building off of the street, waiting for the car to pass by me. Once I had spotted the vehicle in question, I slowly began to approach the street, not wanting to be spotted by Jail in any of his mirrors. The Lexus turned, heading in the direction that I had hoped for.

"So far, so good everyone," I said. "Looks like they are pulling into the coffee shop parking lot now. As soon as I get visual on where they are sitting, it's go time."

"Roger that," everyone said in unison, including Hayate and Subaru.

I observed Nanoha get out of the vehicle with Jail outside of the coffee shop, and began to head inside with him. Nanoha was smiling, but I knew the gesture was far from genuine. It was difficult to watch her in a position like that, but I also knew that Nanoha was strong enough to handle it.

I watched her and Jail make their way to a table far away from any of the windows, as Nanoha had been instructed to. She eventually glanced over at me outside of the window for a second, setting a glass bottle of water down on the table, the signal that it was clear to go on her end.

"Alright, everyone, set your watches for fifteen minutes," I advised as I rode away from the coffee shop. "Make sure you are out of the lab by that time, okay? We might not be able save you after that."

"Fate, I'm coming in off Decker Street now," Ginga said, the sound of her bike revving in our earpieces.

I gunned my engine as well. "I'm coming from Monroe. I have visual on you. Two laps around the front of the building, and then move to the entrance of the parking garage. Let's go!"

Ginga drove onto the street in front of the laboratory, suddenly pulling her bike up into a clutch wheelie as she made her first pass. The security guards in front of the lab immediately became interested in her stunt, lowering their weapons as they watched her go by.

I passed by Ginga at high speed in the opposite direction, and hit my front brake lever quickly to bring my back wheel off the ground. I performed an endo for a few dozen feet, balancing on the front tire only before coming to a stop.

"Wait, where did you learn to do that?!" Ginga asked me, having turned around at the end of the street to begin her second pass.

"I begged Quint," I responded. "Do that thing where you spin on one wheel," I then directed her.

Ginga stood up on the bike, placing one foot on her seat and the other on a foot peg. She then brought her bike back up into a wheelie while she was standing up. She rode to the middle of the street, and started turning the bike in circles on her back wheel.

I counted all six exterior guards now standing on the sidewalk, pointing and watching me and Ginga perform on the street. I began to do a rolling burnout next to Ginga, making sure their attention was focused on us completely.

"Okay, now Ginga!" I shouted, and we immediately turned and headed full speed to the front entrance of the parking garage. I saw the guards chasing after us on foot in my mirror, but knew we had at least thirty seconds of distance on them.

Ginga and I both grabbed the smoke grenades strapped to our bikes, as we raced our way to the front of the garage. We pulled the pins and threw them a few feet ahead of us, and the entrance to the garage was quickly enveloped in yellow and purple smoke, obscuring the view of the security cameras pointed in that direction. We began to rev our engines in place to make as much noise as possible, as the exterior guards began to get closer.

I grabbed the flash grenade attached on the other side of my bike. "Now, Teana!" I yelled. I heard Teana's bike round the corner of the building where she and Subaru had been hiding.

As soon as Teana and Subaru passed through the cloud of smoke and were inside the garage, I threw down the flash grenade, knowing the guards were almost to us.

"Ginga, close your eyes!" I yelled, and immediately after my warning a flash of light and enormous blast occurred. The guards halted and screamed, their vision and hearing temporarily lost in the blast.

"Here they come!" Ginga said, now hearing the sound of motorcycles coming from the garage behind us. "Hopefully the girls found a place to hide in there."

"Time to go then!" I shouted, immediately taking off down the road to the left. Ginga broke off to the right, racing as fast as she could away from the lab as well.

"You both have a motorcycle following you, two guards on each one," Hayate said to us, watching from her vantage point on top of the lab roof. "The guards outside are returning to their original positions."

"Perfect," I replied. "That just leaves two guards inside. We'll keep these four busy. You're up, Teana and Subaru!"

**oOOOo**

**Third Person POV**

"Got it!" Teana replied into her transceiver. "Subaru, there's the air duct we are going to be going through," she said, pointing to the vent grate a little above them. They were currently crouched behind a large concrete pillar, having just witnessed the two bikes racing out of the garage in pursuit of Fate and Ginga.

Subaru stood up and retrieved a screwdriver from her pocket to pry open the vent. After it was off, she cupped her hands so that Teana could step into them. Subaru lifted her arms as Teana jumped up, using Subaru's shoulders as leverage as well. Teana used care not to hit the small book bag on her back, which contained her laptop and other equipment she would be needing in a few minutes.

Subaru jumped up after Teana, using her upper body strength to pull herself into the air duct next to her.

"That was pretty impressive," Teana complimented, knowing she could not have physically performed the feat herself.

"Thanks!" Subaru said, smiling. "So, which way now?" she asked, looking past Teana down one part of the duct, their faces just inches from each other.

"Um..." Teana began as she glanced at Subaru for a moment, who was unusually close to her. "T-That way," she finally stammered, point a flashlight in the path directly in front of them.

"We should run into the stairwell we need to be in at the end of this," Teana added. "We have to hurry, though."

Subaru nodded. "Okay, I'll follow you," she told her. The two girls made their way across the span of the air duct, with Teana feeling more and more claustrophobic as they went farther into the passage with no openings. After three minutes of crawling on their knees and elbows, Teana and Subaru reached the other end, pushing open the vent grate in front of them.

"That was terrible!" Teana groaned, sticking her head out of the vent opening to peek inside the stairwell. Seeing that the coast was clear, she took off her book bag, and maneuvered so that she could slide out of the duct backwards, eventually hanging off of it before jumping the remaining distance down to the floor.

Subaru tossed Teana her bag from the duct, before performing the same maneuver Teana just did. They both started climbing up the flights of stairs, eventually reaching the door to the roof, where Hayate was waiting on the other side.

"Thanks!" Hayate said.

"It wasn't too difficult for you to climb up the fire escape outside, was it?" Teana asked, as they began to make their way back down the stairwell.

Hayate shrugged and pointed to the arm still in a sling. "It's not feeling so bad today. The hard part was climbing up the ladder to the fire escape, honestly."

"Here's the entrance to the offices, Hayate," Teana mentioned, having reached the second floor of the stairwell. "This is where you go do your thing, Subaru. Are you all set?"

"Yep!" Subaru replied, pulling out a small container of gasoline and a lighter from her pocket. "Hopefully it doesn't get too out of control."

Hayate laughed. "Half of the building is blown up as it is. I doubt there is much worse you could do to it."

Subaru grinned and nodded before turning her attention to Teana. "Be safe, okay?" she requested, and then leaned over to give Teana a kiss on the cheek.

Teana looked away and blushed furiously "Y-Yeah, you too," she replied with a stammer.

"I don't even care if you're my sister, either!" Subaru called out over her shoulder, now descending the stairs.

Hayate and Teana looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "What the hell does that mean?" Teana asked her. Hayate only shook her head in response, and they both watched Subaru enter into the first floor section of the lab from the stairwell.

"Oh, well. Time to hide, Hayate," Teana said, positioning themselves near the base of the stairs leading to the third floor. They would be just out of sight of anyone exiting into the stairwell from the second floor doorway.

Teana watched the time carefully. "Eight minutes left," she noted out loud. Just before her watch hit the seven minute mark, an alarm rang out loudly above them, as well as flashing lights that signaled a fire in the building.

It wasn't long before the two remaining guards exited through the second story doorway, passing through the stairwell to enter into the first floor, on the same path as Subaru.

Teana snuck down the stairs in time to catch the door before it locked shut behind the guards, and she and Hayate entered into the office area of the lab, barricading the door with a broom handle that was nearby.

"I hope she makes it back down to the garage safely," Teana mentioned.

"I'm sure she will be fine," Hayate reassured her. "Okay, here's Shiro's office. You ready?"

Teana nodded. "Yep! This is the easy part. I just hope that Fate and Ginga are doing okay..." she added.

**oOOOo**

**Fate POV**

"This is not okay!" I yelled into my mic at Ginga. "These girls are psychopaths!"

Ginga and I continued to fly down the streets and alleys of the city on our bikes separately, with Jail's four security guards close behind us. Occasionally, the guards chasing me would get close, and the girl riding on the back would try to use a stun gun wand on me. I managed to dodge them each time, but they seemed to be getting closer.

"Alright, Fate, I just heard a few police sirens," Ginga said. "It's time we start wrapping this up."

"How much time do we have left?" I asked, turning the corner onto a wider street where traffic was congested. I weaved in and out of the cars, so that the guards behind me couldn't get close again for now.

"Four minutes," Ginga replied. "Hey, what the...? Fate, one of the girls just pointed a gun at me! We need to take them out!

I looked back at my two pursuers, making sure they hadn't brandished a weapon like that at me yet. "They must be getting desperate, now that they hear the police. Let's hit the final street then."

Approaching the next intersection, I barely registered from the corner of my eye the approaching motorcycle about to run into me. On reflex, I turned down the street to the right to narrowly avoid the collision, instead of heading straight on the street as I had originally planned.

"Fancy meeting you here," I told Ginga, the both of us now riding side by side down the street. We glanced back, seeing that our pursuers had also followed us down the less crowded street.

"Did you forget that this was the final route, or what?" Ginga asked.

"Maybe?" I replied honestly. "I was too worried about them shooting me, I guess." As if on cue, gunfire started coming from behind the two of us.

"What a bunch of bastards!" I yelled, quickly removing the collapsible spike strip I had stored in the backpack I was wearing. "I won't feel bad about this then!"

"Yeah, me neither," Ginga replied as I tossed an end of the spike strip to her. As soon as Ginga had it stretched out, we let it drop behind us.

We looked back in time to see our pursuers hit the spikes, their bikes flipping them end over end and propelling the four guards onto the street. Ginga and I both nodded silently to each other after the crash, and once we hit the end of the street, we went our separate ways again.

**oOOOo**

**Third Person POV**

As Ginga approached the backside of the laboratory, she knew she was in range of the other girls' transceivers again. "Subaru, are you in position yet with the bike?" Ginga asked her.

"Almost," Subaru replied. "I will be as soon as you get here, I think."

"How's it going up there, Hayate?" Ginga then asked.

"We just secured the remote connection to Shiro's computer, and we are headed back to the roof," she replied. "We checked the cameras, and the guards are all trying to put the fire out now. We'll meet you in a minute."

Ginga shifted into neutral and cut the engine of her bike, silently letting it glide down the road as she headed for the base of the fire escape. Even though she knew the guards were preoccupied inside, she didn't want to draw their attention with the sound of her bike approaching the rear of the building.

She spotted Subaru positioning Teana's bike under the fire escape, having just walked it over from the parking garage, along the wall of the building.

"Great job, Subaru," Ginga said, gliding her bike up next to her. "Was it difficult to escape after you set the fire?"

"It wasn't too bad," she replied, looking up to see Teana and Hayate begin to climb down the fire escape. "Although, I think I had just barely replaced the vent grate, right before the guards came in to put out the fire. So I cut it pretty close there."

Subaru slid onto the backseat of the bike, as Teana was the first down the ladder. Teana handed Subaru her book bag with her laptop in it, before she mounted the bike. Ginga engaged her kickstand so that she could help Hayate down, not wanting her to have to use her bad arm any more than necessary

She climbed up the ladder to the base of the fire escape, and then indicated for Hayate to jump on her back for a piggy back ride. Hayate complied, although it was more difficult than usual, since she only had one good arm to hang on to her. Ginga quickly began descending the ladder with Hayate on her back, and the two made their way over to her bike.

She mounted hers quickly with Hayate close behind, and Ginga started her engine. Teana did the same, and after ensuring their two passengers were holding on tightly, they rode to the next destination.

"I hope Nanoha is doing okay..." Hayate mentioned to the other girls.

**oOOOo**

"_What a vile, egotistical man,_" Nanoha thought to herself, as Jail answered a call on his cell phone across the table from her. The talk between the two leading up to this moment had mostly been about his accomplishments in life, from his studies in Italy to his corporation now, and the research they conducted. Nanoha had not had to provide any details about herself, which was just fine with her.

"I see," Jail replied slowly into the phone, nodding and glancing over a Nanoha. She became nervous, hoping that she hadn't somehow been caught after all of this.

"Okay, I'll be back shortly," he then added, before ending the call on his phone. "It seems there was another mishap at the lab. Another fire," he told Nanoha seriously.

Nanoha feigned surprise and frustration. "Another attack? I don't understand, who is doing all this?!"

Jail shook his head. "I'm not sure," he replied, "but there may be some evidence that the Testarossa family is behind all of it."

Nanoha threw her hands up in the air. "I knew Precia was insane, but... t-to hurt my father like that?" she said, her voice now genuinely shaking at the thought.

Jail reached across the table to hold Nanoha's hand, and she had to use all her willpower to not pull away from the man in disgust. "I understand, my dear. I have security all around the laboratory now, trying to protect your father's interests in all this. Even though it is a business merger, I can't help but feel like you and Shiro are family already. That's why I was more than pleased to learn that your father was willing to accept Yuuno as his son, as well."

Jail then began to run his thumb along Nanoha's knuckles slowly. She tried to remain calm, even though she was becoming increasingly nauseous. "Although, I wouldn't be against taking a pretty young thing like you as my bride myself," he added, now looking her up and down.

Nanoha couldn't help but feel her eyes flash angrily at the man whom she reviled so much after his last comment. Jail noticed her facial expression and immediately removed his hand from hers, grabbing her wrist roughly instead.

"You really were a spectacular actress in all of this. You _almost_ had me fooled," he then said to her.

"W-What do you mean?" Nanoha replied. "You're hurting my wrist, Jail."

"You're exactly like your father," Jail continued, squeezing her wrist harder. "Your face betrays you every time. That's what honesty and nobility gets you, you know? I liked your father by the way. I did! I liked him right up to the moment I tried to kill him. It's a shame I didn't succeed, really. Honestly, though, it doesn't matter anyway. It's just a matter of time before I control the company completely, and there isn't anything you can do about it. Isn't that amazing?"

Nanoha's body tensed as fear completely washed over her, and she was unable to speak. "Shiro didn't want to marry you off, did you know that?" he added. "That's what his face told me. But he let his pride overtake his judgment, with a little bit of my coaxing. Now, I just have to wonder who this mysterious lover of yours is..." Nanoha paled, a new wave of terror overtaking her as she thought of Fate.

Jail leaned in close to her face. "Who are you working with?" Jail finally asked her quietly. "I will find out anyway, so you might as well tell me now. Maybe then, I'll let your family live."

Nanoha finally let the empty water bottle she was holding in her hand fall over onto the tabletop.

**oOOOo**

**Fate POV**

I heard the distinct sound of the glass bottle hitting the table, signaling me to approach from my hiding spot around the corner. I had assumed the position a few minutes prior, in case Nanoha ran into trouble with Jail.

"She's with us," I informed him as I neared the table. Jail leaned back in his seat in surprise and glanced around at room. He saw Teana standing in the doorway near the back hallway, blocking the rear exit. Ginga approached from behind, standing slightly behind him. He noticed her over his shoulder, before returning his eyes to me.

"The gang's all here, I see," he responded coolly. Nanoha stood up from her chair to stand next to me, her body trembling and her breathing ragged as she tried to suppress her anger. I then sat down in the chair that Nanoha just exited.

"Jail..." I began.

"Fate..." he replied, nodding his head once in greeting. He then turned his eyes to look Nanoha up and down again. "I must say, I'm impressed you could land yourself such a nice piece of ass there. Of course, you're not so bad now, either," he added, turning his vision to openly stare at my chest.

Ginga came up from behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Aren't you forgetting someone, Jail?" she asked seductively in his ear. He turned his face to look at her beside him.

"Hmmm, yes...I do prefer exotic women as yourself, Ginga," he replied softly, his mouth close to hers.

The moment he turned his head to look back to me again, I punched him square across the face. Ginga pulled him backwards in his chair after my fist made contact with his mouth, and hit the ground with a loud _thud_.

Jail laughed and put his hand to his mouth, wiping away a little bit of blood from it. "You punch like your mother, Fate."

"You deserved it back then, I'm sure. Just like you deserve it now," I replied, shaking my hand from the impact.

Jail sat upright on the floor. "Don't try to talk to me about right and wrong, _Testarossa_," he hissed. "Because frankly, I just don't give a sh*t."

"We know you don't," Ginga responded. She pulled out a roll of cash, placing a few large bills on the table for the coffee shop's troubles, as all the patrons and employees were now openly gawking at us. Teana came to stand in front of Jail as well, next to me.

"This isn't over," he said vehemently and spat at all of us. "Not by a long shot."

"Looking forward to it," was my only reply. I took Nanoha by the hand and led her out of the coffee shop to my bike sitting out front. Ginga and Teana made their way over to their bikes as well, with Hayate and Subaru still seated on them.

"Ginga's house. Let's go," I instructed them, before mounting my bike and starting it up. Nanoha got on behind me, holding onto me tightly as we all pulled our bikes onto the street together.

**oOOOo**

"So how screwed are we?" I asked, falling back onto Ginga's couch next to Nanoha.

"On a scale of one to ten?" Quint responded, pulling Teana's laptop out of her bag. "Two million."

Nanoha was staring blankly at the empty coffee table, seemingly in a state of shock. I placed my arm around my shoulder and pulled her close to me. "Try not to let him get to you, Nanoha. That's how he wins, really."

She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut as she leaned her head on my shoulder. I held her while we continued to discuss the next part of the plan.

Quint opened Teana's laptop and started tapping the keys on the keyboard. After about twenty seconds, she pushed it away from her in frustration.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she finally said. "Teana! Can you come in here, and do your thing with the thing!"

Teana walked in to the living room from the kitchen. "My thing with the thing?" she asked, completely perplexed.

Quint tapped the open lid of the laptop. "I'm useless with this, sorry," she told her.

Teana sat down and began opening programs and databases, and then she connected an auxiliary cable from her laptop to the television. "Okay," she began, the laptop screen now displayed on the flat screen. "This is the laboratory database. When we were in Shiro's office, we found that Jail had his personal laptop attached to the network as well in there. We adjusted it so that he shared all his data over the network, and we can remotely access it from here too."

"Okay, backup all his information first and foremost," Quint instructed. "We will start going through his data immediately after you capture it."

Teana nodded, starting to set up an external zip drive to back up his information.

"What did you discover with the security guards?" Quint asked me.

"That they aren't afraid to shoot at us," I replied, and then immediately regretted saying that when I felt Nanoha's hand clench my shirt.

"And what about Jail, Nanoha?" Quint pressed.

"He's a monster," she answered quietly. "He admitted to trying to kill my father, has threatened to hurt the rest of my family... even Fate-chan..." Nanoha finally trailed off, devastated.

"I have a feeling he will be turning his attention to our family for now," Quint told her. "We were an unexpected hitch in his plan, and he will probably try to get rid of us as quick as possible."

I nodded. "We need to get my mother back here so we can protect her," I said. "Even if it means breaking her out of the police station."

Ginga had entered the living room as I had mentioned my mother. "Have you talked to Lindy about Aunt Precia?" she asked me.

"No," I replied. "I don't think we have time for formalities now, anyway. We don't know where Jail might have his people stationed. They might be within the police force, for all we know?"

Quint stood up and walked over to Ginga. "Will you please help Fate save my sister, sweetie?" she asked her daughter.

"Of course, mom!" Ginga replied, giving her a hug.

"I'm going too," Nanoha's voice came from behind me. I turned to look at her, quickly putting my hands up in protest.

"Nanoha, I wouldn't want you to - " I began.

"It's not up for discussion, Fate-chan," she interrupted me, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm going wherever you go. Period."

I lowered my arms and watched her for a moment, then finally grinned. "Alright, Nanoha. But no slowing me down, you got that?" I teased her.

She pouted. "You're the one who sucks at breaking and entering, remember? And now you are talking about doing it at a police station. You probably need me, actually."

I couldn't argue with her statement, so I just gave her a hug instead. Afterward, I pulled back and clapped my hands together, rubbing them excited. "Alright! Let's go get my mother, shall we?"

**oOOOo**

"Well, that's unexpected..." Ginga said, looking through the front window of the police station.

Nanoha and I peered into the window next to her, seeing Lindy standing in the front office of the station, with my mother beside her. Lindy was talking to a tall, blue haired man in front of them, as my mother's shocked face looked on at them silently.

"I-Is Lindy bailing her out?" I asked, stunned.

Nanoha gave me a confused look. "Does Lindy know your mother or something?" she asked.

I shrugged. "I think they've only met a few times, at the school," I replied. "Oh crap!" I suddenly yelled, before I ducked down behind one of the double doors. Lindy and my mother began to head in our direction to leave the station, and I pulled Nanoha and Ginga down to hide next to me.

Lindy and my mother exited the door opposite of us, beginning to walk down the stairs towards the street.

"_Ahem!_" I cleared my throat loudly, as I stood up from my crouched position.

Lindy immediately turned around, her eyes flashing as she marched straight over to me. She grabbed my ear and pulled me around the corner of the building. Nanoha and Ginga followed close behind us.

"Don't you '_ahem!_' me, young lady!" she shouted, finally letting go of my ear. "Do you have any idea what hurdles I had to jump through just now?!"

Lindy crossed her arms over her chest as she peered down at me. My mother looked at Lindy's actions in confusion at first, but then seemed to register them as appropriate disciplinary measures. She mimicked Lindy, crossing her arms over her chest and peering down at me as well.

"Hey!" I exclaimed to my mother, noticing her motions as I rubbed my ear in pain. "I'm trying to save your life here, you know?!"

Lindy put one hand on her hip and pointed a finger at my face. "Oh, so now you're going to sass talk your mother too? Is that it, Fate?!"

My mother observed Lindy's posture again, and then placed both hands on her hips and glared at me even harder.

"HA! I can't watch this..." Ginga said, laughing and walking away after seeing her aunt's awkward movements.

Lindy glanced over at my mother finally, and allowed herself to smile a little when she saw my mother's posture. She then closed her eyes and shook her head. "Fate, I was worried to death about you guys. I thought something might have happened to you."

"Um... yeah. Look, we just need to get my mother out of her and somewhere safe. Back to Ginga's house," I told them.

Lindy nodded. "I'll give you all a ride," she responded. "My son Chrono just told me some disturbing things he has found out about the explosion. He's a captain at the police station here, and I can explain what he told me when we get to her house."

I smiled, and then pointed over to our bikes in the parking lot. "We will escort you, actually."

Lindy frowned and turned to face my mother. "You let them ride those things, Precia? They're dangerous!"

My mother's eyes grew wide at the questioning, and I immediately stepped in. "Those 'things' are the least of our safety concerns right now, trust me. We really should go," I added, a feeling of nervousness suddenly coming over me.

"Okay, Fate," Lindy agreed. "I'm in the black SUV a few rows down from you in the parking lot. You guys can lead the way."

I continuously scanned the area around parking lot as we made our way to our vehicles. I was unable to shed the feeling of anxiety that was continuing to plague me, although visually nothing seemed out of the ordinary. We broke off from my mother and Lindy, as they made their way to the SUV. We put on our helmets and mounted our bikes, with Nanoha now naturally coming to sit behind me.

Ginga pulled out of her spot in the parking lot first. "I lead, you follow," she instructed me in the earpiece.

"Got it," I replied. Nanoha and I followed her down the aisle slowly, and when we reached Lindy's SUV I paused before it. I indicated to Lindy to pull out in front of me, and eventually the caravan was making it's way down the aisle, heading for the parking lot exit.

"Nanoha," I said. "Can you keep an eye out for anyone who might be following us?"

"Sure, Fate-chan," she replied, hugging me a little tighter as we began to drive faster through town.

We had made it about halfway to Ginga's house when I noticed a dark purple SUV trailing us. "Fate-chan..." Nanoha began, noticing the vehicle at the same time.

"Yep, is see it too," I responded.

"The purple SUV three cars back?" Ginga mentioned, still ahead of Lindy's black SUV.

"We need to lose them before we head to your house, Ginga. My mother should catch on once when we change directions," I said.

"There's an alleyway coming up here," Ginga noticed. "Let's turn down it, and maybe try to barricade them in after?"

"Sounds good," I responded. "Nanoha, hold on really tight okay?" I felt her embrace me tighter in response.

Ginga gunned her motorcycle ahead of Lindy's SUV and turned into the alleyway, which was a few hundred yards before my mother and Lindy would reach the entrance.

I pulled my bike in front of the purple SUV that was trailing behind us, riding at a normal speed. I suddenly slammed the brakes on my bike to perform an endo, with the SUV behind us screeching to a halt to avoid colliding into us. I looked in my rear view mirror just in time to see the surprised faces of Jail's guards watching us.

I immediately set the rear tire back down and raced ahead, heading into the alleyway a few moments after Lindy's SUV had turned down it.

"It was definitely Jail's guards," I told Ginga and Nanoha, as we made our way down the alley. "But I bought us some time."

"Oh no! Not good, not good!" Ginga's panicked voice suddenly came through the earpieces. I looked around Lindy's vehicle to see a second SUV pulling into the alley way, blocking our exit. I turned and observed the original purple SUV entering into the alleyway as well. Both vehicles were making their way towards us quickly, trapping us all in the middle.

Ginga and I both came to a stop sideways at the ends of the Lindy's SUV, trying to take the most defensive postures we could. The guards began to exit the vehicles, each armed with handguns that were equipped with silencers. Jail was the last to exit from the SUV in front of Ginga.

I counted eight guards total, plus Jail. "Take off your helmets," he commanded us as he stood between everyone, positioning himself next to my mother's car door. He then rolled his gun in circles a few times, a motion to tell us to hurry up. I felt Nanoha remove her helmet first from behind me. I took mine off as well, with Ginga removing her helmet a few seconds after me.

Jail used the barrel of his gun to scratch his head. "So, Fate, what should I do now, hmmm? Should I... kill your cousin?" he asked, aiming his weapon at Ginga. She remained motionless as did I, years of training keeping us from reacting to threats like that.

Jail smiled. "Yes. Of course that wouldn't work. How about... the love of your life then?" he continued, slowly turning the gun to point at Nanoha. I slid off the bike in one quick motion, standing completely in front of her to protect her.

"If you _ever_ lay a hand on her..." I growled.

"...you'll kill me?" Jailed finished for me. "I actually think you would if I did try that, Fate. So that's why _this_ makes the most sense in the situation."

Jail reached over to the door handle of the SUV where my mother was seated and yanked it open, aiming and firing two shots into my mother's chest point blank. I watched my mother slump over, and eventually fall to the ground outside of the vehicle lifelessly.

"NO!" I screamed in their direction. Guards were blocking Ginga and Lindy from moving to assist my mother. I wanted to run to her side to help her, but I was unwilling to leave my position in front of Nanoha.

"Ah, true love wins again, it seems! How does that one saying go? - - '_The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound._'" Jail recited, his arms up in the air. "Alright girls, I think they've learned their lesson for today. Let's go!"

We all stood motionless as the occupants returned to their SUV's. As soon as they had shut their doors and began driving away, we all ran over to my mother's body on the ground. I fell to my knees, pulling her head up into my lap. I hugged her as best as I could as I sobbed loudly, with Nanoha crouching beside me, hugging me around me neck.

"_Uuuuhhhhh_," I heard my mother suddenly groan from under me. My eyes immediately shot open and I looked down at her. I observed my mother with one eye open, staring up at me. "Is he gone yet?" she then asked.

"W-Wait, is this for real?" I responded, pointing down at my mother as I looked up at Nanoha, and then Ginga. They both had expressions of disbelief and slight horror as they stared down at her.

My mother began to sit up. "God, Jail is _such_ an a**hole!" she said. "I can't believe he shot me like that!"

I finally looked back at Lindy for clarity in the situation. "My son had her wear a bulletproof vest, in fear for her safety," she simply responded.

My mother waved her hand, and then began to stand up. "Bah! It's probably good he thinks I'm dead anyway. It gives us the upper hand."

"I can't grieve and then recover this quickly!" Nanoha suddenly exclaimed, burying her head in her hands. "You guys are already plotting your next move?!"

My mother crossed her arms and peered down at Nanoha. "Hey, if you are going to be a Testarossa someday, you have to keep up. Got it?" she said in an authoritative voice.

She then glanced over at Lindy. "How was that? Was that mom-like enough?" she asked her.

Lindy laughed. "It's certainly a start, Precia. But for now, let's all head to Ginga's house. In one piece, preferably."

Ginga replaced her helmet and mounted her bike, and Lindy and my mother reentered the SUV. I grabbed Nanoha's helmet from the ground and held it out to her. She bypassed it, opting to hug me tightly instead. I set the helmet on the seat behind me and held her in return.

"You okay?" I asked her after a moment.

"You're mother's right, Fate-chan. I would have to get used to this, if I'm going to be with you."

"Are you considering not being with me because of this?" I asked, panic beginning to rise up in me. I pulled back to look at her directly.

Nanoha shook her head. "No, that's not even an option for me," she replied. "But, I do want to become stronger. I want you to train me to be a better partner for you."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" I asked. "It's pretty dangerous, as you can tell."

Nanoha nodded her head firmly in confirmation. "I have a lot of people to protect in my life, and I'll be damned if someone like Jail is going to hurt anyone else I care about. Not if I can help it."

I smiled and hugged her again in excitement. "I knew I loved you for a reason!" I exclaimed.

"Nyahaha, yep!" she replied happily. We hugged for a few more seconds before letting go, making our way to my bike again.

Nanoha suddenly stopped walking. "Wait... you love me?" she asked seriously, now shocked at my words.

"Oh. Well... Yes, I think I do, actually," I responded after thinking for a moment.

She laughed. "You're so weird!" she commented, getting on the back of the bike behind me and hugging me tightly. "But I guess that's why... I love you, too."

* * *

**A/N:** Onward to the next chapter!

**P/N:** To **BrokenSilence1991**, my assignments are...okay so far, lol. I'm not sure if I ever mentioned what they are exactly, but I'm in school studying animation. The assignments have to do with that, as we have something due every week. I'm still just a newbie for now, but hopefully I'll get a degree at some point and be able to be an animator myself :)


	18. Chapter 18 - Fast and Furious

**A/N: **I am pleased to announce that there will be a Part 3 to this story! I will assure everyone now, there will be no more timeline resets (once was enough, I know). The idea for the next part came to me all at once today, and I feel like it's too interesting not to explore. But for now, I hope everyone keeps having fun with me as we continue through Part 2 of the story :D

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 18 – ****__****Fast and Furious**

* * *

_~Kaufman, Texas, March, 1932~_

******Fate POV**

I glanced nervously out the back windshield of the car I was currently a passenger in, heading down the dirt road into town. I was legitimately worried that someone passing by might be able to read my mind, and figure out just what crime it was I was about to commit.

"Look, I don't want you to worry about nothin'," I tried to reassure the driver next to me. "This is gonna be the easiest thing in the world. You're mamma could even take this bank!" I laughed nervously after the comment, shifting in my seat a little.

Nanoha said nothing, only looking ahead at the road blankly, as I continued to fumble around next to her. Finally I couldn't stand her silence any longer.

"Okay?" I asked her quickly.

I saw the corners of her lips pull upwards a little, as she tried to suppress a smile at my clumsy behavior. I knew she was teasing me by not giving me a direct response, but it was only causing my nerves to be further on edge.

"You just be ready if I need you," I added. She nodded her head, feigning a very serious expression on her face. I swallowed a few times, the ability to breath becoming more elusive the closer we came to our destination.

Nanoha soon pulled the tan Chrysler we were in along the side of the predesignated bank, around the corner from the main entrance. She left the engine running, and we both stared through the front windshield in silence for quite a few seconds.

She finally glanced over at the bank, and then back at me. "What are you waitin' for?" she asked me with raised eyebrows.

Her comment snapped me out of my daze, and I looked over at her, before turning and opening the car door beside me quickly. I was out of the vehicle in a flash, accidentally slamming the door shut and spinning around a few times to check my surroundings.

Seeing that the coast was clear, I hopped a little and ran inside the bank entrance, as Nanoha looked on from the car. I pushed the front door open awkwardly and loudly, drawing my gun in the process as I burst inside.

"Alright! This is a stick-up!" I yelled into the surprisingly empty lobby, before noticing a single teller behind the bank counter.

"You there, just take it easy," I told him in a timid voice, my gun shaking as I rushed over to him. "Nothin's gonna happen to you. Just give me the money!"

The teller looked at me like I was an idiot. "What money? There ain't no money here," he replied, shaking his head.

I paused for a moment, my head twitching a little. "Whatcha talkin' about?" I asked, my eyes glancing around him nervously. "This here's a bank!"

"Well, it _was_ a bank," he replied, now laughing at me. "But we bailed three weeks ago."

I was too stunned to say anything, and I looked all around the room nervously. It was obvious the building had recently been abandoned for the most part, with no signs of a bank ever having been there.

I turned back to the teller. "Alright, you get on out of your chair! Come on, out!" I commanded, as I ran to the door next to his station and opened it up. The man shook his head and smiled, but complied with my request and rose from his seat. I grabbed him by the arm as he walked over to me, and I started leading him to the front door.

"You go on out there and tell her yourself, then!" I told him, directing him over to the car where Nanoha was still sitting in the driver's seat. "Go on, you tell her what you just told me!"

The man sighed as Nanoha looked up at him, completely bewildered. "Look ma'am, the bank's been closed for three weeks now. There's just no money in there for you to steal." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards the building.

Nanoha paused for a second, before she burst out laughing loudly, putting her forehead on the steering wheel as she clutched her stomach.

I pushed the man away from the vehicle and opened the driver's door, and she scooted over while still laughing hysterically. I got in and started the car, and then raised my gun and shot out the front window of the abandoned bank in sheer frustration at the situation.

I quickly drove us away from the scene, almost running head first into an ice truck. It barely swerved out of our way, with blocks of ice littering the road behind us. I pulled the vehicle onto the nearest farm road, getting as much distance as possible from the bank, while Nanoha continued to laugh at me.

"We got $1.98 to our name, and your laughin'?!" I yelled to her while shaking my head, but unable to contain my smile any longer. "Well, we aren't screwin' up the next one, you understand?"

**oOOOo**

"This is a stick-up..." I said quietly into the crowded bank, having just drawn my gun from my jacket. None of the patrons heard me, and I glanced over at Nanoha. I then bumped her shoulder, reminding her to draw her gun from her purse as well.

"This here's a stick up!" I yelled with more confidence. Everyone in the bank spun around to face our direction in the front doorway, immediately raising their hands.

I walked over to the teller to the right, grabbing the purse of the woman standing in front of it. I emptied the contents of her bag onto the counter, and then handing the purse to the teller to fill it up with money.

As the teller was performing the task, I glanced over at Nanoha. She looked back at me shyly, and I saw a pile of money in disarray around her feet. From her stance, it looked as if she had tripped and dropped her purse full of money all over the floor. The teller near her was crouched down, picking up the money and putting it back in her purse for her.

"_Sorry, Fate-chan,_" she mouthed silently in my direction. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the purse full of money from the teller in front of me. Nanoha met me in the middle of the lobby with hers, and I pushed her out the front door. I walked backwards out of the exit, making sure no one was following us outside.

We ran to the red and black Ford Lincoln we had just stolen an hour earlier, which I had parked just outside the bank door. I had left it running, and was thankful no one had stolen it from us during our heist.

"I'm drivin'!" Nanoha yelled to me, rounding the front of the vehicle to enter into the driver's side. I hopped into the passenger side with my gun still drawn, prepared to defend ourselves if necessary.

Nanoha quickly shifted the vehicle into first gear, cutting the wheels sharply to narrowly miss the car that was sitting idle in front of us. She righted us back onto the street, just as we spotted a police wagon turn onto the road, heading straight towards us.

Without flinching, Nanoha shifted into second and then third gear, heading directly for the wagon head on. Just before the collision, the wagon veered to the right, the weight shifting and causing it to turn over on it's side onto the pavement.

I was turned around completely in the passenger seat, watching the crash occur. "We're probably gonna get in trouble for that," I mentioned to her.

"After what we just did," she replied, smiling and looking into the rear view mirror, "we can't really be nit-picky with our methods anymore."

I sat forward in my seat again, just in time for Nanoha to shift into fourth gear as we neared a busy intersection of town. She turned the car sharply to the left, causing the vehicle to fishtail at our current speed, and turn ninety degrees into a new direction. We narrowly avoided cars entering the intersection, and we were now traveling on a road away from the main street.

"When I taught you how to drive the getaway car, I didn't expect you to be so much better at it than me," I told her.

She shifted into fifth gear as we raced out of the city limits. She took my hand in hers and looked over at me, only grinning in response.

"_We're in the money..._" she then started singing happily to herself.

I laughed and leaned back in my seat. After a few moments though, I tried to be serious with her. "Nanoha, we just robbed a bank," I began. "And we were seen. They're gonna be comin' after me, and anyone runnin' with me."

Nanoha glanced over at me, her face now showing concern at my words.

"You just say the word to me," I continued, "and I'll put you on a bus right back to your mom. You mean a lot to me, and I don't wanna put you in any danger."

Nanoha paused. "No," she whispered, her voice quivering a little.

"What?" I replied.

"No!" she said louder, shaking her head furiously.

"Look, I ain't rich or nothing. You could get a rich man if you tried!" I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

She turned to face me directly. "I don't _want_ no rich man!" she shouted, her face stern.

We studied each other for a moment, before she returned her vision to look out the windshield. I saw tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"You ain't gonna have a minutes peace, ya know...?" I warned her, my voice softening.

I saw her face brighten a little. "You promise?" she replied.

I leaned over and kissed her on the temple. "Yeah. I promise," I assured her.

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

**Fate POV**

I sat up in the bed as I awoke from the dream, my heart pounding and my forehead slightly sweaty. It was the second night in a row I remembered having an incredibly vivid dream, and I wasn't sure exactly what to make of it. I had occasional dreams like everyone else, but these two felt different, as if I had truly lived through those scenes somehow in my sleep.

I glanced over at the clock on the nightstand table and saw it was now morning, just about time for Nanoha and I to wake up. I looked over at her naked form, covered only by a sheet up to her waist. She had an open book across her chest as she slept, one that I recognized as one of Quint's books from her library in the house.

I turned my head sideways to read the title on the spine of the book. "_The Lives and Times of Bonnie and Clyde,_" I read. I figured I must have seen Nanoha reading it at some point in the night, explaining away the dream I had.

I slowly removed the book from her body, trying to replace the weight of it with my head instead at the same time. She noticed the movement though, and woke up to see me staring up at her from her chest.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking down at me.

I pretended to pout. "_Tsk_, I was trying to pull an 'Indiana Jones' on you," I informed her, pursing my lips.

"Explain more, please," she requested, her eyes narrowing.

"In _Raiders of the Lost Ark_, Indiana Jones tried to switch a gold statue with a bag of sand of a similar weight," I started, now beginning to kiss her breasts.

"Umm-hmm," Nanoha said absently, paying more attention to what I was doing than saying, it seemed.

"He was trying not to set the trap it was on, you see," I continued explaining, now moving my head down her stomach to kiss and nibble at her well-toned abdomen.

"You don't say..." she responded, before biting her index fingertip lightly as she watched me move farther down her body, her breathing becoming more ragged.

"Unfortunately, it didn't work. Lots of boulders and bugs got involved," I said, my mouth now hovering below her belly button. Nanoha grabbed my head in her hands, and pulled me up to face her before I could go any farther.

"Don't talk about bugs right now, Fate-chan," she scolded as she shook her head, before kissing me. I kissed her back, both of us sinking into the bed with me on top of her.

"_Fate! Nanoha! Breakfast!_" I heard Quint yell from downstairs.

Nanoha pulled back from the kiss. "Why does it feel like we are always interrupted somehow?" she asked me.

I sighed, and then laid down beside her. "Who knows? Although, there wasn't any interruptions last night?" I added, feeling myself blush a little.

Nanoha covered her eyes with her forearm. "I hope the walls of this room are pretty thick," she said, now embarrassed.

I glanced around the guest bedroom of Quint's house. "Or that everyone is heavy sleepers," I replied.

Nanoha and I reluctantly removed ourselves from the bed, putting on new sets of clothes that we had bought the previous day after the incident with Jail. We figured we would not be returning to our own homes any time soon for our own safety, so we spent most of the previous evening shopping for the necessities we would need for the next few days to weeks.

I descended the stairs from the second-floor bedrooms with Nanoha close behind me. We entered through the living room and made our way into the kitchen. Quint was cooking at the stove, with quite a few pancakes already stacked in front of her.

She turned around to see Nanoha and I enter into the kitchen behind her. "Ah, if it isn't the two lovebirds now!" she exclaimed with a wink. I looked up at the ceiling in embarrassment, as Nanoha looked away to the floor.

"Oh, come on! It's fine! It's like a stress relief," she reassured us. "Besides, you think you two were the only ones last night?"

I gasped. "Really! Oh my god, who else? Wait, do I want to know...? Yes, I do. I want to know who else."

Quint shook her head. "It's a sec-r-et!" she playfully responded. "I'll give you a hint though... It wasn't me."

"Now I have to wonder about _that_ all day," Nanoha mused about our friends. She walked over the counter and began pouring a glass of orange juice for herself.

"_We're in the money..._" she suddenly began to sing to herself softly.

I immediately froze as I stared at her, completely stunned. She didn't notice my look until she had picked up her glass and was about to take a sip.

"What?" she said.

"Where did you hear that song?" I asked her quietly.

She shrugged. "Just a dream I had last night."

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly feeling dry. "What kind of dream was it?" I continued weakly.

"We were bank robbers. It was probably the book I was reading last night, though. I borrowed it from the room next door, when I couldn't sleep."

"Fate, why do you look like you are about to faint?" Quint suddenly asked me from the stove.

"_You ain't gonna have a minutes peace, ya know...?_" I told Nanoha, repeating one of my lines from the dream.

Nanoha continued to drink for a second longer, before spitting out and choking on her juice in surprise. She then looked up wildly at me. "How did you know what you said?!" she yelled.

"Well, how did you know that song you were singing?!" I shouted in return.

She threw her hands up at me. "You were the worst bank robber ever!"

"Hey, you're the one who tripped and spilled all the money!" I countered.

"Okay, timeout!" Quint said, placing the spatula between us. "This is about the strangest conversation I've ever heard. But we don't have time for it at the moment. You two need to eat quickly, and get down the warehouse to start training for your new roles."

"Yes!" I exclaimed happily, now hopping up and down a little.

"The warehouse?" Nanoha asked me. I shoved a plate of pancakes at her in response.

"Just eat, and then we can go have some real fun!"

**oOOOo**

Ginga, Teana, and I parked our bikes beside the warehouse, where we had performed most of our training throughout our childhood and teenaged years. Hayate, Subaru, and Nanoha had ridden with us on the backs of our bikes, which had now become normal for them. Lindy, Quint, and my mother followed us in Lindy's SUV.

The warehouse was made to look abandoned from the outside, although the security to enter into the facility was state of the art. I was starting to become more giddy.

"Nanoha, you remember how I told you before that our family didn't really spend money on material possessions?" I asked her quietly. She nodded. "Well, that might not have been entirely true..."

Quint began to unlock the front door to the warehouse. "The shipment came in from England last night," she said over her shoulder to us. "Just in time now, it seems."

She then walked through the front door and into the first hallway, entering in the extensive security code into the keypad on the wall. It also required fingerprint recognition, and after she held her finger against the pad for a few seconds, the iron plated vault door at the end of the short hallway unlocked. The group made their way through it, before securing the door behind us.

I hit the light switches next the doorway, illuminating the interior of the warehouse. Sitting in the middle of the large room were the three new additions to the inventory - - brand new Mini Coopers. We all gasped at the sight of the shiny new vehicles.

I made my way quickly to the one that was mostly black with red stripes, which was sitting in the middle of the row. I popped open the driver side door to look inside the vehicle. I noted an automatic transmission, which I preferred, as it kept one hand free if necessary as I drove.

Ginga and Hayate walked over to the white and purple Mini, and I knew that Ginga was checking for the same thing. She gave me a thumbs up in confirmation.

I turned around and saw Nanoha standing in front of the red Mini with the white stripes, her eyes seemingly transfixed by the vehicle in front of her.

"You like it?" I asked her.

She nodded, and began walking to the driver's side door, gliding her fingers lightly over the hood in the process. I looked through the passenger window and notice this one had a manual transmission.

Quint threw a set of keys at Ginga. "You're up!" she said simply. Lindy looked a little alarmed, but my mother attempted to reassure her.

"They have to test them out. Make sure the specifications are correct," she told Lindy, her arms crossed as she studied the situation closely. Lindy tried to hide a scowl but said nothing further.

"You coming with me?" Ginga asked Hayate.

"Of course!" Hayate replied happily. The two entered the white Mini, and Ginga started it up. Quint knocked on her window, and Ginga lowered it.

"Two laps around the outside of the warehouse. We will time you, okay?" Ginga then looked past her mother and directly at me, knowing that a competition had now just begun between us. I saluted her in response.

Ginga drove the Mini to the starting line of the track, as Teana looked at her watch and raised her arm beside the line. After a few seconds, she lowered her arm quickly. "Go!" she yelled.

The wheels of the vehicle screeched loudly as Ginga gunned the engine. Her and Hayate neared the top speed for the warehouse quickly, fishtailing a little around each corner as they made their way around the warehouse. Subaru was cheering them on from the sidelines as the Mini raced around us.

As soon as they had crossed the line after their second lap around the warehouse, Teana stopped the time on her watch. Ginga drove the car to the middle of the warehouse again, parking it next to the black Mini.

"How did it go?" Quint asked.

"Perfect!" Ginga replied. "It corners really well!"

Hayate ran over to Nanoha. "That was so much fun!" she told her. Nanoha smiled, and the two began talking about the experience, as I got into the vehicle I would be testing. I drove over to the starting line, waiting for Teana's signal to begin.

"Go!" she yelled, and I floored the gas, the tires screeching as I made my way to the first corner. I used the handbrake to help maneuver around it, getting a feel for the way the car handled itself. By the third corner, I felt pretty confident in my abilities to drive it in high speed situations. I finished my two laps, and pulled the Mini up in between the white and red ones.

"How did I do?" I asked Teana across the room, who was jotting down my time.

"One second!" she yelled, meaning I had just barely beaten Ginga's time. Ginga wasn't paying attention though, as she was bent over near the open window of the driver's side of the red Mini. I looked inside it, and spotted Nanoha behind the steering wheel.

I went to stand beside Ginga. "Teaching her how to drive?" I asked.

"Yep," Ginga replied over her shoulder to me. "She's never driven stick before, so I was showing her the clutch and explaining the gears." Ginga then rose up, allowing me to take her place as the instructor.

"Do you want to give it a shot, Nanoha?" I asked, smiling down at her.

She looked up at me and smiled in return. "If it's okay?"

"Yep. Just put it into first gear, and then ease off the clutch while pressing the gas." I made a motion with my hands, simulating the movement her feet would need to do. Nanoha looked forward and concentrated, and she moved the car forward slowly about ten feet.

"Wow, that was pretty good," I told her, impressed. "Most people usually stall on their first try."

"Nyahaha, thanks!" She then looked down at the gear shift. "Which one is reverse again?" she asked me.

"To the back and far right," I said. "So reverse is pretty much the same - " I began.

Nanoha moved the gear shift into reverse and turned around to look through the rear windshield. She then faced forward again, and gave me one last smile. The tires on her Mini screeched as she floored the gas, and she suddenly drove away from me in reverse. I barely had a chance to move out of the way before my foot ended up under her tire.

As soon as the Mini passed by the two others, Nanoha flipped the car around 180 degrees and started driving forwards without skipping a beat. She drove it to the starting line of the track where Teana was still standing. I walked back over to Ginga and Hayate, not quite sure what to expect next.

Teana glanced back at Quint to make sure it was okay, and Quint gave her a thumbs up. Teana raised her arm, and then lowered it. "Go!" she shouted.

Nanoha immediately crossed the starting line and approached the first corner at top speed. She expertly maneuvered it around the first turn, using a combination of engine braking and the handbrake. She cornered the Mini tighter than Ginga and I had done.

Ginga crossed her arms and leaned back on the hood of the white Mini, visually impressed as she watched Nanoha's performance. "Do I even want to ask?" she said over to Hayate.

Hayate shrugged, her hands in the air. "Don't ask me! I didn't even know she could drive at all. Fate, what do you think?"

"She must have good instincts," was my only reply, as I watched Nanoha take the third corner. I was contemplating the dream, where I remembered she could handle even the bulky Ford Lincoln through tight spots, and could turn it in a new direction on a dime.

Nanoha completed her two laps, and then pulled the red Mini up next to the black one. She cut the engine and tossed the keys to Quint as she exited, before hopping over to stand beside me. Her face was a little flushed and she was grinning, the adrenaline still racing in her.

"Five seconds!" Teana yelled from across the warehouse. Ginga and I both lowered our heads in defeat, but we were still smiling.

"Well, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth," Quint said. "So, it looks like we have our third driver! Which is great, because it frees Teana up to stay here and run support and logistics."

"Or, I could just take Bardiche...?" I ventured.

"Not until your eighteen, Fate," Quint responded, bopping me on the head. "You know the rules."

"What is a 'Bardiche'?" Nanoha asked me.

I pointed up to the second floor, to the section of the warehouse were we stored non-essential vehicles and other equipment. "My Ferrari. It's my birthday present next year," I told Nanoha.

"Oh god, why do I feel like I'm in competition with a car suddenly?" Nanoha groaned.

Ginga sulked, crossing her arms. "Fate's not the only one. I have to wait for Blitz until I'm eighteen also."

"Blitz...?" Hayate questioned.

"My Aston Martin Vanquish. We will have to show you them sometime," she told her, looking up to the ceiling with a smile.

"Did Teana decide on a car too?" Subaru asked.

Quint shook her head. "No, she said she isn't interested in them all that much. She said she would just rather have more equipment to work with for the missions."

"She seems so dedicated?" Hayate said.

"She is," I responded affectionately as I looked over at her. She was making extensive notes of the test runs on her clipboard, still across the warehouse from us.

Quint started waving her arm at her. "Hey Teana!" she yelled. "Let's talk about what we know so far, so we can start coming up with a plan." Teana nodded and jogged over to the group. My mother and Lindy began to walk our way as well.

"Okay," Quint began, "I'll make this short and sweet. As we all know, Jail tried to kill Shiro in the explosion two nights ago, and he tried to frame Precia for it. It was an attempt to get Momoko to sign over the corporation to him in her grief. And if that didn't work, he was going to use Yuuno's marriage to Nanoha to get his way instead."

"He seemed to change tactics last night, though," Teana continued, opening up her laptop she had brought, and turning the screen to face the group. "Nanoha, apparently your family has a vault at the mansion?"

"Y-Yes?" Nanoha replied slowly.

"Somehow he knows about it, and has taken a great interest in it," Teana told her. She then double-clicked an icon on her desktop, showing us a picture of the front of a vault door. Nanoha paled, seeming to have recognized it. "Stuff like this is all over his laptop now," Teana added.

"What's in the vault, Nanoha?" I asked.

Nanoha sighed, and lowered her head and closed her eyes. "Everything... All of our family's money. My dad says he doesn't trust banks, and that he could keep it safer himself."

Everyone in the group groaned. "Just how prideful _is_ your father, Nanoha?" Lindy asked incredulously. My mother threw her hands up in the air and nodded frantically at her, as if finally getting validation of what she had known for so long.

"It doesn't matter," Hayate interjected. "We simply can't let him take the money. It would ruin our family."

"So what do we do then?" Ginga asked.

Quint looked at the vault on the screen. "We'll have to use the element of surprise, with some imagination. Did your son report Precia's 'murder', Lindy?"

Lindy nodded. "Yes, there was a death notice in the paper this morning."

"Good," she responded. "That means he probably thinks we are no longer a direct threat for now. I would bet he is trying to gain more trust with Shiro and Momoko as we speak. What else do you know, Teana?"

Hayate suddenly received a text message alert on her phone, and we all paused in our conversation to let her read it. "It's Shamal... She has a message from your mom, Nanoha."

I saw Nanoha visible brace beside me in anticipation. "Your mom said... she trusts your judgment, and that she knows you are doing what's best for the family." Nanoha only nodded silently in response, fighting back a few tears.

"Well, your mother certainly knows something is up with Jail then," Quint continued. "Let's just hope Shiro remains clueless."

My mother snorted loudly, and Lindy pushed her with her shoulder to try to quiet her.

"Nanoha, how wide are the hallways in the mansion, would you guess?" Quint then asked.

Nanoha looked up as she thought about it. "Um, about six feet, maybe?"

"Teana, can you get a copy of the blueprints of the house to confirm that?" She began to stare at the Mini's, and then looked back to me and Ginga. We all began to grin at each other, coming to the same conclusion.

"Okay, new plan!" Quint suddenly announced. "We take all the money before Jail does!"

All the Testarossa's cheered loudly, while the Takamachi's and Lindy looked at us like we were insane. Ginga and I walked over to the Mini's we would be driving, and I opened up the hatchback of the black one. I started pointing out to her how we could stuff the money in the cargo area. Nanoha came up behind me, a confused look on her face.

"Will all the gold fit in there okay?" she asked.

I spun around. "Gold? What gold?! You said money!" I shouted.

"Well, gold _is_ money!" she yelled back.

"Yeah, but it's... it's heavy money!" I slammed the hatch of the Mini shut. "How much are we talking about?"

Nanoha looked at Hayate. "$2.7 million, right?" Nanoha guessed.

Hayate shook her head and laughed. "No, Nanoha. More like $27 million. I helped Momoko with the taxes last year." I groaned and started to walk away.

Subaru began looking at the Mini's carefully, first into the backseat, before opening up the hatch of the red one. "It's not impossible..." she murmured to herself.

"What are you thinking, Subaru?" Quint asked.

"Well," she began, "these could be reinforced to carry the weight. I could do it, but I would need help."

"Do you know anyone trustworthy who could do it quickly?" I asked.

Subaru nodded. "Yeah, two people actually. They are the best. I grew up working with them in the garage, pretty much."

"Okay, I'll trust your judgment, Subaru," Quint said, putting her arm around her shoulders. "Anyone who is a friend of my daughter's is a friend of mine."

Subaru's face lit up, and she hugged Quint. Teana nearly dropped the laptop in her arms after the comment, and stared opened-mouthed at the two embracing in front of her. Nanoha and Hayate had similar expressions on their faces.

"So you were able to confirm it?" I asked.

"Yes," Quint responded. "I checked Subaru's file in the lab database with my own records, after everyone went to bed. It's official."

Ginga ran over and joined her mother and sister in a hug. I walked over to Teana, who was now looking at the floor, her expression unreadable.

"She isn't blood related, Teana," I tried to reassure her quietly, placing one hand on her shoulder. "Don't get too caught up in labels, okay?"

Teana nodded. "It's just overwhelming. But I'm really happy for them. For us actually, our whole family," she added, smiling up at me. I nodded and ruffled her hair a little.

"Do you guys know the combination to the vault?" I asked Nanoha and Hayate.

They both shook their heads. Quint frowned as she became lost in thought over the new problem. "Let's see," she began. "Three drivers, Teana on logistics, Subaru on mechanics. That just leaves... _you_," she said, looking directly at Hayate with a smirk.

"Me?" Hayate replied weakly.

"You're with Precia, kiddo," she informed her, as my mother walked over to Hayate with her arms crossed in front of her.

Hayate looked up at my mother's towering form over her, and swallowed fearfully.

"Come. I have a lot to teach you," my mother said as turned and began walking away from the group. Hayate nervously walked behind her, glancing back at Nanoha, who shrugged helplessly in return.

"Wait, what are you teaching her?" Lindy asked as she caught up with my mother as well.

"Explosives," my mother replied flatly.

"Explosives?!" Lindy exclaimed.

I walked over to Nanoha, who had made her way back over to the red Mini. She was affectionately running her hand along the driver's door, looking inside of it.

"Raising Heart is going to help save my family," she told me.

"Raising Heart?" I repeated.

She nodded. "Yep! If you can name that death-trap up there 'Bardiche', I can name her, too."

"It's a good name," I said. "But how did you know how to drive her?"

"Um... I didn't," she replied honestly. "It was like my body was being controlled by someone else in the beginning. But by the second lap, it was me driving on my own. Is that weird?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "No, why would that be weird at all?" I replied jokingly.

She slapped me lightly on the arm. "I can't believe I'm trusting my family's gold with a terrible bank robber like you!"

"Well, make sure you don't crash your car and spill the gold everywhere, Nanoha," I countered. Nanoha crossed her arms and moved her face close to mine in defiance.

"Okay, enough flirting you two," Quint said, coming between us. "We do this tomorrow night, so we don't have a moment to spare." She then placed a set of keys in each of our hands. Ginga came to stand beside us.

"You guys are practicing outside now. I don't want to see you three back here until you move in perfect sync. Got it?" Quint told us.

"Got it!" we confirmed. I walked over and opened up Nanoha's car door for her. "Am I forgiven?"

"You're forgiven... for now. Just don't get me killed, Fate-chan," she warned me with a smile.

I nodded. "I'll do my best," I promised.

* * *

**A/N:** No notes to add here. So, until next time! +^..^+ ~Nissanity~


	19. Chapter 19 - Best Laid Plans

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 19 – ****__****Best Laid Plans**

* * *

******Fate POV**

"Ginga, it seemed like you were one second behind in the formation," I said, looking in the rear view mirror. Her white Mini that was driving behind Raising Heart, which was directly behind me in my black Mini.

"Sorry," I heard Ginga say in my earpiece. "It's been three hours, and somehow I keep missing my mark."

"Maybe it's my fault," Nanoha mentioned from between us. "I don't have your guys' timing down yet."

I tapped my thumb on the steering wheel, trying to come up with a solution to the problem. I drove us back to the beginning of the large concrete ravine we were practicing in, restarting the formation for the eleventh time. The ravine was without water during this time of the year, making it the perfect practice area for us.

I suddenly had an idea. "Nanoha, you know the route now. Take the lead," I said, decelerating to allow her to pass me.

"Okay," she replied, veering around me to take the front position. She downshifted to gain speed, and I had to press the accelerator hard to the floor to catch up with her.

"Jesus!" Ginga said, as I heard her engine revving to catch up as well. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw her grinning.

I watched Raising Heart carefully, as we all hugged the left side of the high concrete sidewall in a line. After we passed under the first concrete overpass, Nanoha veered sharply to the middle of the ravine. I pulled my Mini to be to the back right of her. Ginga followed suite, the three cars now creating a half V formation.

Before we passed through the middle partition of the second overpass, we collapsed the formation to form a straight line again. After we cleared the next overpass, I pulled to the right behind Nanoha, and Ginga drove up to my left. We created a full V formation for a few seconds, before Nanoha shifted into neutral and pulled her handbrake, turning Raising Heart around 180 degrees to face the complete opposite direction.

As Nanoha changed directions, Ginga and I turned towards each other and crossed paths, cornering our vehicles to face in the same direction as Nanoha. As soon as we had caught up with her again, Nanoha cut Raising Heart sharply to the right, and we all drove our cars up and over one of the sloped concrete walls on the side of the ravine.

We all stopped at the base of the slope and exited our vehicles, having perfectly executed the formation. Nanoha ran and hugged me, and I picked her up a few inches and spun her around once, laughing together. Ginga came up behind us, and placed her hand on Nanoha's shoulder after I put her down.

"Great job, Nanoha!" she exclaimed. "We should probably only have to practice a few more times, and then we can head back to the warehouse."

We agreed happily, jumping back in our Mini's and driving back to the beginning of the ravine.

"Lead the way, Nanoha!" I said proudly.

**oOOOo**

"Welcome back, girls! And just in time too!" Quint exclaimed, seeing Ginga, Nanoha, and I walking back into the warehouse. As we all made our way towards the center of the large room, I observed Hayate with clear shatterproof goggles on, holding a metal remote detonator in her hands. My mother was hovering over her, pointing first to the remote in her hands, and then across the room as she explained how it all worked.

Hayate pressed the red button in the middle of the detonator, and immediately a blast came from a hundred feet away in the warehouse. Nanoha hugged me at the surprise blast, while Ginga and I continued walking unfazed. Teana never missed a beat either, focusing exclusively on her laptop, and I saw she had 3D models of blueprints rendered on her screen.

"Hey, where's Subaru and Lindy?" Ginga asked.

"They should be back any minute. They went to pick up the two people that would be helping her reinforce the Mini's," Quint responded.

I nodded, and then started walking towards the rolling garage door on the side of the building, where the Mini's were parked just outside. The three of us drove them back into the middle of the warehouse, and right as we were parking them, we saw Lindy pull up in her SUV with Subaru.

Quint approached the open garage door as Subaru walked inside with her two new assistants. Ginga, Nanoha, and I followed behind Quint as they made their introductions.

"Hey Mom, this is Zafira," Subaru began, gesturing to the blue-haired man next to her. He was tall and extremely muscular, and he had his arms crossed as he nodded his head silently in greeting.

"And this is Vita," she continued, pointing to a short red-headed girl, who currently had a slight scowl on her face. Quint shook her hand, and the girl grunted in return before speaking coherently.

"So, what's the job here?" Vita grumbled.

Quint smiled a little, and then walked everyone over to the middle of the warehouse. "Some major body work. We need to pack about 2700 pounds of cargo in these Mini's, with enough suspension and horsepower to outrun anything chasing them."

Vita whistled a little in response as she looked over the three cars, while Zafira's face remained stoic. "How long do we have until?" she then asked.

"Tomorrow night," Quint responded.

Vita crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "And how much do we get out of it?"

"Ten thousand each," my mother piped up from across the room, still standing beside Hayate as she handed her another detonator.

Vita looked up at Zafira, who nodded his head in confirmation to her. "Alright, but that doesn't include parts!" she growled.

Quint pulled out a credit card and handed it to Subaru. "Get anything you guys need," she told her.

Teana suddenly let out a yell from across the warehouse, looking down at her laptop with a shocked smile on her face.

"What's up, Teana?" I asked her, beginning to walk in her direction.

"Oh. I had placed a bid on a house for sale, and we just won it in the auction! It has a vault similar to the one at Nanoha's house, so that Hayate can practice opening the door with the explosives."

Nanoha froze. "Wait, what? You guys are going to blow up the vault door?"

I nodded in confirmation. "Well, unless you want to ask your mother for the combination?"

She grimaced. "Ahhhh... Okay, but it better not cause too much damage," she finally relented.

I put my arm around her shoulder and tried to reassure her. "No worries! We're practically experts here!"

My mother started placing various explosive devices in a duffel bag. Lindy walked over to her, concerned but also used to her antics by now. "Should you put that many things that explode in one bag together?" she asked her.

"Don't worry, the detonators aren't attached," my mother replied casually. "We have to get over to that new house as soon as possible, so that she can practice opening the vault."

"Okay, I'll give you all a ride then," Lindy offered.

Precia paused, and then looked up at her. "You... don't mind, really?"

Lindy shook her head and smiled. "No, I don't. Call me meddlesome, but I feel protective over the girls. It makes me feel better to be with them through this."

"Oh... Well, thank you," my mother said quietly.

"For what?"

"For caring about them. They deserve it," she responded, and then went back to packing her bag. I stopped in my tracks at my mother's words, as I had never heard her say anything like that about us before. Nanoha came behind me and rubbed my back gently, smiling at me as I recovered from my shock of the comment.

Quint walked over to Lindy. "Here is the address to the new house," she told her. "The other girls will meet you over there in a few hours, to witness the testing."

"What would you like us to do now, Mom?" Ginga asked.

Quint turned to us. "You guys help Subaru and her team with the Mini's for now."

"We are going to need to strip out the unnecessary engine parts first," Vita told us. "We need to lose all the safety controls, as well as the backseats."

I rubbed my hands together. "Alright, I'll tackle my car with Ginga. Subaru, will you take the white Mini with Zafira? And Nanoha, pair up with Vita on Raising Heart?"

They all nodded in agreement. I knew that Vita could teach Nanoha more than I probably could in such a short time, so I was happy for the learning opportunity for her.

Vita stretched her arms up above her head and yawned a little. "Alright, let's get started already. We are gonna be cutting it close as it is."

**oOOOo**

It was three hours before we received a text from Hayate that they were ready to test the explosives with the vault door at the new house. We had made considerable headway on the cars, having removed the backseats on mine and Nanoha's. I was leery of pulling too much out of my engine though, so I left most of that work to the experts.

Teana opted to stay behind, to continue 3D modeling the interior of Nanoha's mansion. Subaru was staying as well to continue working on the cars. Ginga, Nanoha, and I made our way over to the new house on our motorcycles. We exited the city limits, entering into a rural area about twenty minutes outside the city.

"Wow, this is really far out here," I mentioned to the other girls.

"I like it!" Ginga replied in my earpiece. "It's probably good too, since we are blowing stuff up."

We made our way to the end of a private paved road, leading to a quaint two-story house that didn't have any neighbors nearby. Hayate, Lindy, and my mother were standing in the front lawn, casually chatting together. Hayate had a detonator in her hand, which she waved at us as we parked.

"Mom, this house is so cute!" Ginga said. "Maybe after all this, I could inherit it? I love it!"

"You would really want to live this far away from the city?" Quint asked her.

"Maybe... If I had good company with me," she replied, looking at Hayate and winking at her. Hayate smiled and blushed, looking at the floor in embarrassment.

"It was you two!" Nanoha suddenly exclaimed, pointing at Hayate and Ginga. It took me a second to figure out what she was alluding to, before recalling the conversation with Quint in front of the stove earlier about "stress relief."

Quint pointed to the tip of her nose, indicating the correct answer. Hayate and Ginga looked at us confused.

"Let's get the test going," my mother said impatiently, ignoring the conversation. "Lindy, do we really need to be this far away? It is barely going to be a blast at all."

"Yes, at least this first time," Lindy responded. "If it goes okay, then I won't insist anymore."

We all nodded in compliance. Hayate readied her thumb over the red button on the remote detonator as my mother began counting, excitement flashing in her eyes.

"Five... Four... Three... Two... One...Go!" she yelled, and Hayate pressed the button on the remote.

The house explosion threw us all back about five feet across the yard, onto our backs. After a couple of seconds, I blinked a few times as I registered that I was now looking up at the sky. I groaned and immediately started looking for Nanoha.

"Nanoha... You okay?" I asked, not sure where she was at the moment.

Nanoha was giggling behind me. "I'm okay, Fate-chan," she said, before putting her hands over her face and laughing loudly.

I glanced over at Hayate, who was staring wide-eyed as pieces of fiery board and ash started raining down in front of us. She quickly turned her head to look at my mother, who was glaring at her.

"You were only supposed to blow the bloody door off!" my mother yelled at her.

Hayate turned sheepishly to Ginga, who had a shocked look on her face, as she stared at the house she had loved so briefly. The house was now missing most of the second floor and quite a bit of the first. She looked at Hayate, and then gave her a hug to comfort her. Hayate sulked a little into her shoulder.

Quint pulled out her cellphone and took a picture of the wrecked house in front of us, before attaching a message to it. "Teana... we... need... a... new... house..." she read out loud as she typed, and then pressed the send button.

"I think I forgot the bag with the rest of the explosives next to the vault door," Hayate finally admitted.

"Alright. Let's pick up dinner for everybody and head back to the warehouse. We will review everyone's roles for the rest of the evening," Quint decided.

**oOOOo**

"I finished the 3D model of your house, Nanoha," Teana announced, pointing at her laptop with a fried chicken drumstick.

"Can you connect your laptop to the projector, Teana?" Quint asked, pointing to a machine on the desk. Teana nodded, putting the drumstick in her mouth as she started fumbling around with the cords.

After a moment, Teana's laptop screen was being broadcast on the wall of the warehouse for all of us to see. Quint had asked Vita and Zafira to be a part of the meeting as well, in case there were any alterations needing to be made to the Mini's based on the plan.

Teana clicked a button on her keyboard, and a 3D model of Raising Heart now appeared on the screen. It started driving around the interior of the mansion, only backwards. Vita lowered her arms in shock slowly as she watched the digital car turn virtual corners in reverse.

"You have got to be kidding me?!" she exclaimed.

"Nope," Quint replied. "Fate and Ginga will be driving their paths normally, facing forward until they hit their staircases. Nanoha, I'm afraid you will have to be in reverse the whole way as you drive through the mansion. You won't have anywhere to turn around to back up to the vault."

"That's fine," Nanoha replied, unfazed.

Teana pressed a few more buttons, and mine and Ginga's cars now appeared, beginning to drive their paths on the screen too. If we timed it correctly, we would all be arriving at the second floor vault at the same time from three different directions.

"And, if things go well," Teana commented, glancing momentarily at Hayate, "the vault door will be opened and the gold can be loaded into the three Mini's after that."

"Thirty minutes is your window," Quint instructed. "Teana has checked Jail's phone records, and after calling around, she found out he has reservations at a restaurant at 8:15pm tomorrow night. Between escorting him to and from the restaurant and still having to guard the lab, we are confident that there won't be any guards at the mansion for at least an hour. We don't want to push our luck, though."

"Did they already take over the mansion too?" Nanoha asked quietly, her eyes closed.

"I'm afraid so," Quint replied. "According to Shamal, Jail claimed it was another security measure after Precia's 'murder', and Shiro went for it."

"What do we do after we get the money?" Hayate asked. "They will notice that the vault door is all messed up."

"After the money is secured, we head to the hospital to protect Nanoha's family, and then turn Jail into the police," Lindy said. "According to my son, he believes there is an informant in the police station working for Jail, but he doesn't know who it is. That's why your mother, Quint, and I opted not to go to the police right away, so that Jail wouldn't get tipped off. Not until the money and, more importantly, the family is secured."

"We will turn over all his computer files to the police from his laptop after we secure the gold, and let them handle it," Quint added.

"So, by 8:15pm, Fate drops Subaru off near the front gate. Subaru will scale the wall and open it from the inside, and then head to the French doors at the rear of the house and open them as well. She will meet you guys upstairs at the vault when you arrive."

Teana pulled up a word document that contained a row of numbers. "Jail changed the security code to the mansion, but thankfully he wrote the new one in a document on his laptop. As long as he doesn't change it again before tomorrow night, this will be the code, Subaru."

"Hayate, you will plant the _correct_ amount of explosives around the vault door by 8:25pm," Quint continued. Hayate hung her head in shame, before nodding that she understood.

"The gold is loaded by 8:40pm, and you guys are out of the mansion by 8:45pm at the latest. Teana stays here and runs logistical support. Everyone clear?" We all nodded in confirmation.

"Good. Let's work on the cars for the rest of the evening, so that way we can get as much practice in with them tomorrow before the job. Vita is in charge now."

Vita's face brightened a little with the comment, before she cleared her throat and crossed her arms. "That's right. We got a lot of work to do, so the help would be appreciated. We have to install and secure the storage chests tonight in the cargo areas."

"I'm making some coffee," Lindy said. "It sounds like it's going to be a long night."

**oOOOo**

"What time do you have, Teana?" I asked into my mic, getting ready to sync my watch to hers the next evening.

"7:58pm," she responded in my earpiece. The three Mini's were lined up in a row down the street from the mansion, waiting for Jail to leave for his restaurant reservation. I tapped my thumb on the steering wheel repeatedly.

"Nervous?" Subaru asked from the passenger seat.

"Very," I admitted, covering my microphone. "This is the biggest job I've ever done, and the most important too."

Subaru nodded. "I know it's been pretty horrible, this whole situation with Jail. But... I'm also grateful too. I found my Mom, and now maybe the families won't fight anymore in the future. Now that I belong to both, that seems most important to me. More than gold, or corporations, or anything like that."

I smiled. "Yeah. It's definitely not about the gold at all. Right now, the only thing I'm picturing is Jail's face when we finally win against him. And together, at that."

"I see movement ahead," Nanoha said across our earpieces from her position in the front. "It looks like Jail and the guards are getting into his Lexus out front. He has three guards with him."

"That confirms it. Nine guards at the lab and three with him," Teana said. "The mansion will be clear when they leave."

We watched the Lexus exit through the front entrance, and the wrought iron gate closed behind them as they drove away from the mansion. Once they were out of sight, I pulled out from behind Raising Heart, approaching the wall near the front gate to let Subaru out.

"Good luck!" I yelled at her as she exited.

"You, too!" she said. She shut her door and sprinting towards the mansion wall, scaling over it easy on her first try.

"Beginner's luck..." I muttered, before driving my Mini back to park behind Nanoha as the front gate began to open for us. We then waited for Subaru to tell us the rear mansion doors were open before making our move. At 8:14pm, Subaru's voice rang out in our ears.

"Back doors are open. You are good to go," she said.

"This is it guys, the moment of truth," I said as Nanoha pulled out first, followed closely by me, and then Ginga and Hayate behind us in the white Mini.

We made our way up the driveway in a line, and as we approached the house we drove onto the lawn and around the left side of the mansion. As we turned to the right to drive behind the building, I glanced up to my right.

"Hello, Nanoha's balcony!" I said playfully.

"One day, I'll have to actually let you into my bedroom, Fate-chan," Nanoha commented as she drove towards the rear manor wall, to give Ginga and I space to maneuver.

"I'm surprised you haven't had her in there, too..." Hayate joked, as I watched Ginga begin to turn towards the french doors ahead of me.

"Oh, you're one to talk, Hayate!" Nanoha teased back.

"Did you tell Nanoha?" Ginga asked Hayate in a surprised voice, as her car climbed up the back stairs to enter into the doorway. I was close behind her in my Mini, and I looked in my rear view mirror to see Nanoha's reverse lights come on. She immediately began driving in reverse behind me.

"No, your mom heard you, Ginga," I informed her with a laugh, passing through the doorway and turning 90 degrees to my right, to enter into my first hallway. Ginga had turned 90 degrees to the left a second before me, entering the hallway across from mine.

"Your mom heard us?!" Hayate yelled, as I watched them corner their Mini at the end of their hallway, turning right. I turned left at the end of mine, basically mirroring their actions.

We raced down our new hallways, and I glanced over to see I was keeping pace with the White Mini. I also caught a glimpse of Raising Heart climbing up her staircase in reverse, which was directly in front of the door we had just entered.

"Oh god! So, did she hear Teana and Subaru, too?" Ginga asked, as our cars turned towards each other at the end of our hallways, ready to enter into the main hall of the home.

"What?! She's too young for that!" I shouted at Ginga as I faced her, before turning to my left. Ginga and Hayate laughed in return as they turned to their right. We entered the main hall where the masquerade ball had been held the previous week, passing beside the two staircases.

"She's pretty mature for her age," Nanoha mentioned, as I heard her tires screech above us. "Subaru, too."

"She'll never be old enough," I growled, as we came to a stop in the middle of the hall. Ginga and I immediately shifted into reverse, and began to drive up the two staircases backwards.

"Sorry, Fate!" Subaru's voice cut in to the conversation. "But I promise I'll treat her right!" she tried to assure me.

"Will you all shut up!" Teana then interrupted. "Lindy and Precia can hear all this too, you know!"

I cornered one last time in reverse as Ginga did at the same time, and we stopped in the final hallway where the vault was housed, with our cargo hatches facing it. Nanoha pulled up one second after we did.

"Damnit, I was late!" she exclaimed. We all climbed out of our sunroofs and headed toward the vault to assist Hayate with her task.

Hayate opened the hatch of the white Mini, retrieving a drill with a thick and heavy drill bit attached. She handed it to Ginga.

"We've got to drill a few holes around the combination lock. I'll plant charges in them, and then we'll detonate them." She then held up the unattached electrical cord of the drill in front of her.

"Oh, there's an outlet here," Nanoha said, stooping down to plug the drill in. Ginga pulled the trigger twice to confirm it was working. She immediately started drilling the two holes, pressing her body into it steadily. Within five minutes, she had completed the task.

Hayate had been preparing the charges while Ginga drilled, and was ready to place them in the holes when she was finished. She slid the ends of the two charges that already had wiring attached, and then she started stringing the wiring to the detonator behind the white Mini.

"Get ready for the blast, everyone!" she instructed. We all slid and jumped over the vehicles to shield ourselves from the explosion.

"Three... two... one!" Hayate said, and a second later a blast came from the vault door. There was a loud cloud of smoke that we had to wait to clear before we could approach it. Once the smoke had dissipated, we looked to see that the lock was indeed destroyed, and the vault door had been disengaged.

I retrieved a crowbar from the trunk of my car. "I guess this is the real moment of truth," I told everyone. I stuck the end of of the crowbar next to the destroyed lock, so that I could pry the door open. After a moment, I was able to get enough leverage to open it.

We were all silent as we looked in, seeing the vault completely empty inside.

I threw my crowbar at the vault wall angrily, and yelled in frustration. Subaru flinched as the metal hit the wall loudly, with tears forming in her eyes afterward. She looked like she wanted to console me, but thought better of it and withdrew her hand before she did. Hayate began to cry softly and she turned to hug Ginga, who looked somber as she held her.

Nanoha came to stand in the middle of the vault, rapping her knuckles against one of the empty shelves, as she looked around the room thoughtfully.

"Nanoha, I'm sorry..." I said quietly. "I guess we were too late."

Nanoha shook her head, and smiled a little. "Well, we were only too late _this_ time," she mused.

"Hmm... isn't that all that matters?" I responded.

She gave me a funny look. "What? It's not like it's over. It's far from over. Isn't that what Testarossa's are all about?"

Ginga raised her head a little. "What are you thinking, Nanoha?" she asked.

"Jail is still here, so... the gold must still be here. In the city, somewhere. He wouldn't stick around if the gold was already gone."

I nodded my head. "That's true... Although, finding where he hid it might be difficult."

"I'll get on it tonight," Teana's voice came in over the earpieces. "But you guys should get out of the mansion before he gets back."

I shook my head and looked back at the empty vault. "He's not coming back here," I concluded. "That was his victory celebration he was going to tonight."

"Alright, then!" Hayate said, picking up the drill and throwing it back into the car. "No point in wasting anymore time here. Let's go back to the warehouse. I'm suddenly feeling motivated to blow up some more stuff."

**oOOOo**

Teana was pacing back and forth nervously in front of her laptop as we reentered the warehouse that evening.

"Bad news, I take it?" I asked her.

She looked up in surprise, apparently not having heard us return. "Oh, crap!" she shouted, before clutching her chest. "You guys scared me!"

Quint approached us from across the warehouse quickly, with Precia and Lindy in stride behind her. "Okay, we don't have much time, so we will be going over everything Teana discovered while you guys were headed back here."

Teana raised her hands up in frustration. "Jail's flying the coop tomorrow!" she told us.

"When?" Ginga asked.

"One of his security guards just called for a private helicopter for him at 4pm tomorrow," she informed us. "There's an armored car service coming to the laboratory at 5pm. And there is a cargo plane leaving the airport at 8pm tomorrow night. Headed for Mexico city."

"So the gold is at the lab now? How?" I asked.

Teana pulled up a video on her laptop, which was still projecting onto the wall. "They snuck the gold out of the vault today before we got there. I was able to hack into the city's motor vehicle computer system, and get video footage from this afternoon from one of their cameras."

"You can do something like that?!" Subaru asked her.

Teana smiled a little. "Hacking things is fun, when done for the right purposes. Anyway, here is a video of a moving van leaving the mansion, with one of his guards driving it." She then clicked play on the video, and we witnessed a moving van driving out of the front gates of the mansion.

"Well, it would be easy to break into a moving van like that itself," I said. "But I'm sure Jail has a ton of guards around it now."

"Yep, all but two," Teana confirmed. "I checked the cameras at the lab a few minutes ago."

Nanoha put both of her hands on the back of her neck. "So what do we do then? He moves the gold at 5pm tomorrow, and we can't get to it in the lab before then. And then he's putting it into an armored car before he leaves for the airport."

"This isn't bad news. We've been trying to get to the gold, and now the gold is coming to us..." Quint mused, and then paused for a moment."We are going to steal it in transit. Out of the armored vehicle itself, when they are most vulnerable," she then announced.

I was skeptical. "But we don't know what route he is going to take to the airport?"

"Teana has just solved that problem inadvertently. You just gained access to the motor vehicle's computer system, correct?" Quint asked her. Teana nodded in response.

"We will gridlock ever route in the city except the one we choose," Quint continued. "Force that truck to go wherever we want it to go."

"What do we do when the truck gets where we want it though?" Ginga then asked. "We can't get into a shootout with the guards. We would just lose."

"We'll just do it like _The Italian Job_," she said simply, looking at the screen on the wall. We all looked at each other in confusion over her statement.

She spoke again after a moment. "Okay, I'm sending you all home to get some rest, and then we will come up with the plan first thing in the morning. We start bright and early again tomorrow, so be ready."

**oOOOo**

Nanoha was sitting on the edge of the bed when I walked into our temporary bedroom, having just told everyone else goodnight for the evening. She was reading a new book from Quint's library and as I sat down next to her, I picked up the front cover so I could read the title.

"_The Italian Job?_" I read out loud, and then shook my head. "I've never heard of it."

She smiled. "No wonder you are such a bad bank robber," she teased, bumping me on the shoulder. "Just kidding. I never had heard of it before tonight either. It was in Quint's library, and since she mentioned it, I figured I would check it out."

"Does it seem helpful?" I asked her.

"Yep," she replied. "I think we really should study this as much as possible tonight."

"Umm-hmm..." I responded, closing the book in her lap slowly.

"It could contain very important information, Fate-chan," she informed me seriously, before placing the book onto the nightstand.

I pushed her hair away from her shoulder, and began to kiss her neck. "You don't say..." I said.

"It talks about stealing gold from an armored truck," she continued, moaning a little as I bit her pulse point.

"That could be good information," I replied, pulling her closer to me.

"You are so insatiable, I swear," she commented, her breathing becoming more shallow. Suddenly, she pushed me down on the bed and leaned her body next to me. "But I'm going to _make_ you rest tonight, Fate-chan. We have to go in to fight Jail in the best condition we can tomorrow."

I pretended to pout at her decision. "But I'm like Superman, though!" I informed her, before I stifled a yawn.

Nanoha shook her head and then kissed me softly. "Fate-chan," she began quietly, her lips hovering just above mine. "If you do this for me tonight, I promise to reward you tomorrow after it's all over, okay? All... night... long."

I nodded as my eyelids became too heavy to keep open anymore. "It's a deal," I responded sleepily. She laughed, and I felt her body turn away from me for a moment.

"It's my turn to 'Indiana Jones' you now," I heard her say as I began nodding off. I felt her place the open book on my chest to begin reading again, just before I fell asleep for the night.

* * *

**A/N:** To **Kumi**, you asked if the timeline they lived before the reset is forgotten, and the answer is yes. The concept of the story is basically controlling your own destiny. In the first timeline, they were given everything up front and that was great, but they never actually controlled their lives. It eventually spiraled out of control to the point they lost it all. It was only after they lost everything and had to fight incredible obstacles to be together, would they actually be able to truly appreciate their love for what it's worth. That's where the title "Practice Makes Perfect" really comes from.

But if they did remember everything like they had before, things would get all messed up again. They are having dreams about their previous lives now, and it is playing a factor again this time. I promised no more timeline resets, but it doesn't mean there won't be other consequences again for the threads being interacted with like that. Hence, how we are going to have a Part 3. And like you, I prefer this new 'Romeo and Juliet' too. I like to seeing the girls take control of their own lives and fighting for each other, and Fate being a badass is always good :) And to answer your second question, I plan to start a whole new 'M'-rated story soon, although I'm not sure if I'll do any lemon one-shots based on this one


	20. Chapter 20 - A House Divided

**A/N: **Hey everyone! My apologies to any readers who felt like this story got off track with the NanoFate in the past few chapters, because that was definitely not my intention. I hope that this chapter shows that it has all come back together finally, including the original theme of Romeo and Juliet. It just took a few chapters to set it up is all. Sorry, I can never take the easy route it seems!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 20 – ****__****A House Divided**

* * *

******Fate POV**

"Okay we are going to go over the plan one more time," Quint announced the next morning. "Fate, Nanoha, and Ginga - - you will be parked along Highland Avenue at 5pm."

"Yep!" we replied.

"Teana, you'll be blocking traffic all around the city, directing the truck where we want it to go," she continued.

"Roger that!" Teana replied.

"Hayate, you... Hayate, what are you doing? You look pale," Quint mentioned.

I looked over and noticed Hayate looking down at her cellphone, her eyes wide in shock. She looked up at all of us nervously, and then turned to stare at the rolling garage door silently.

Quint noticed her expression. "What is it?" she asked, and then turned her gaze to the garage door as well, just as a knock was heard coming from the other side. Hayate walked over to the door solemnly and opened it up.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Quint yelled when she saw who was on the other side.

I squinted my eyes into the sunlight before I recoiled, as I was now being glared at directly by Shiro Takamachi. He was hunched over in what seemed to be considerable pain with a bandage across his head, and Momoko was standing next to him, her hand on his arm in support.

I glanced over from her, and stepped back reflexively when I saw Jail standing next to them. He had a smirk on his face as he saluted me in greeting. Beside him was the same blue-haired man I had seen at the police station, whom I assumed was Lindy's son.

"Nice busted lip there, Jail," I growled at him.

"You're lucky I didn't press assault charges on you, Fate," he replied. "But... that won't be necessary after today, I believe," he added with laugh.

I eyed him suspiciously, a sense of dread falling over me.

"First you steal my youngest daughter..." Shiro began, now glaring at my mother. "And then you have the audacity to steal our family's money, too?! Is there no end to the corruption that plagues the Testarossa's name?!"

Quint stood in front of my mother. "Excuse me?! You have some nerve accusing our family of stealing your money! The man who is responsible for that is standing right there!" Quint then pointed at Jail. He shook his head at the accusation, feigning innocence.

"Chrono, what the hell is going on?!" Lindy yelled at her son.

"Ms. Harlaown..." he began, and I saw Lindy cringe at the formality of her name from her son. "I have a warrant to search the premises of this warehouse, specifically the three Mini Coopers over there."

My eyes shot over to the Mini's, and then back to Chrono and Jail. I immediately sank to the floor and put my face in my hands afterward, willing myself not to scream. It was then that I realized we were being framed for stealing the gold by Jail, and there was absolutely nothing we could do about it.

Chrono walked over to the Mini's, opening up the hatch of all three and inspected the cargo areas, noting the reinforced storage chests in the back. He picked up the receiver attached to his shirt and pressed the button.

"Station 9, the is Captain Harlaown. I need three tow-trucks sent to my location, please."

"10-4," the voice responded.

He walked back over to our group, as uniformed officers began to enter into the warehouse. "There is video evidence submitted by Mr. Scaglietti's security team that shows these three Mini Coopers breaking and entering into the Takamachi residence last night. The vault was damaged using explosive devices, and the money and gold inside is now missing."

Chrono then stood in front of my mother, pulling out several pieces of paper from his pocket. "Precia Testarossa, you are charged with conspiracy to commit grand larceny, grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of minors..."

As he continued to read off the list of charges, Momoko walked over to Nanoha. "We are taking you home right now!" she yelled at her. "I trusted you, Nanoha, and this is what I get in return? Hayate, Subaru! You are coming with us, too! Let's go."

"Quint Testarossa, you are charged with conspiracy to commit grand larceny..." Chrono continued to read, as my mother and Quint were placed into handcuffs. Nanoha looked over at me, and she was crying as her mother grabbed her hand and pulled her away from me.

"Fate Testarossa, you are charged with conspiracy to commit grand larceny, grand larceny, delinquency of a minor..." I only could watch helplessly as Nanoha was being led away from me, and I was placed in handcuffs, the steel shackles hurting my wrists as they were tightened. The officer behind me grabbed my upper arm and started leading me to one of the police cars.

"Lindy Harlaown..." Chrono began, he hands and voice shaking as he read his mother's arrest warrant. "You are charged - "

"Nobody say anything to anyone from here on out, no matter what! Not one word! Understand?" Lindy called over her shoulder at us, as her son continued reading the charges after she was done speaking.

Teana cringed as she saw an officer pick up her laptop, which had all the 3D modeling of our plans to break into the mansion with the Mini's. Ginga and Teana were then placed in handcuffs as they were read their charges, their faces both completely emotionless, as they had been trained to do in this type of situation.

We were all placed in the backseats of the police cars separately, and I looked over one last time at Nanoha, who was sitting in the backseat of an SUV. Her door was still open, and she glanced over at me, her expression that of grief and remorse. I mustered up all the courage I could and gave her a smile, before Momoko slammed the car door shut, and I was driven away from the warehouse to the police station.

**oOOOo**

Ginga, Teana, and I were placed in a separate cell from my mother, Lindy, and Quint in the juvenile wing of the police holding area. We had been sitting silently together, waiting for the guard to leave, who had been hovering around in the hallway.

I turned on the tap of the sink that was in the cell with us. We all huddled around it as we talked, just in case our voices were being recorded.

"So, what should we do now?!" I asked in a loud whisper to them.

"There isn't much we can do," Ginga replied in a whisper as well. "It looks pretty bad for us."

"I have some of the evidence from Jail's laptop on my computer, but I doubt the police will care," Teana said. "He will probably claim that we were trying to set _him_ up, if I try to show them any of it."

I nodded. "I doubt Nanoha can get it through to Shiro, either. He will probably just think we brainwashed her or something."

"I think Hayate can get through to her aunts, though," Ginga said. "Especially Shamal. Not that it really matters if we can't clear our names with the police here, though."

"Subaru made it seem like her dad was the understanding type," Teana added. "He might have to be, now that it's Subaru's _mother_ that has been arrested."

Ginga suddenly smiled. "Jail's going to get away with all the money, isn't he?"

I laughed, and shook my head. "Do we care at this point? Shiro deserves it!"

"That was a lot of effort for nothing, though!" Teana replied. "Ooooh, my laptop better not get screwed up in all of this..." she threatened.

I shut off the water and put my finger to my lips, indicating we should refrain from talking anymore for now. We remained in silence for a hours afterward, waiting to find out what would happen to us next. I was lost in thought about Nanoha, wondering if I was ever going to see her again. The charges we faced could lead to life sentences in prison if we were found guilty.

Chrono approached our cell sometime during the early evening, although I wasn't sure what time it was exactly at that point. "Fate, Ginga, and Teana. We are taking you for questioning now," Chrono informed us. One of the police officers behind him unlocked our cell, and we stood up and followed behind him down the hallway.

He opened the door to Interrogation Room #3, leading us all in together. I was surprised, as I had assumed we would have been separated from each other during this part of the process. He gestured to the table in the middle of the room, and we sat down in the chairs around it.

"Let me first start off by saying... the police know you didn't take the money," Chrono began.

I nearly fell out of my chair, and Teana banged her head on the table loudly. Ginga put her face in her hands in relief, and started laughing a little.

"How do you know?" I managed to squeak out.

"We have been investigating Jail Scaglietti for quite some time, and we do believe he is behind this. Especially after everything my mother has told us," he replied. "We had to fake your arrests to make it look like we believed his story, though." He then turned to his right. "Teana _Lanster_ Testarossa, correct?" he asked.

She nodded her head silently in confirmation. "Teana, I never had the pleasure to work with your brother here at the station, before his heroic sacrifice in the line of duty. But I can assure you, he is regarded highly as a brave and honorable man."

Teana's face froze, before tears began to fall from her eyes. She made no motion to wipe them away, as she silently stared at Chrono as he spoke. "Your brother conducted a lot of independent investigation into the first accident that claimed your parents' lives. We know he dedicated his life to clearing Precia's name in honor of your parents, since he knew she wasn't guilty, but was unfairly taking the blame for it."

Teana nodded. "Ye -," she tried to say, before clearing her throat and sitting up. "Yes, he would always tell me all the new information he found out. After he was killed, I decided to carry on his legacy and try to clear Precia's name as well. And that's when Quint adopted me."

Chrono opened a manila folder in front of him. "Girls, this is the original research that Teana's brother conducted. There is a strong indication that Jail had a part in the original blast too, but we never had enough evidence to definitively prove it."

"So he has tried to frame my mother twice then? The same way?!" I asked.

Chrono nodded. "There is also evidence that Shiro hindered the investigation after the first explosion, allowing Precia to take the fall when Jail suggested it to him."

Ginga gasped. "What the - - Why would he do that?!"

"I imagine it was because it was easier for him allow that to happen," Chrono replied, sitting back in his chair. "If he allowed her to take the blame, then his company wouldn't be as liable for the damages. The truth may have placed more blame on the corporation, and Shiro wasn't about to risk letting that happen."

"So what about this time?!" I asked, still stunned by all the information. "I mean, do we even know why Jail did what he did back then? Or now?"

Chrono shook his head. "Honestly?" he asked. We all nodded our heads for him to continue. "He may just be crazy," he concluded with a shrug.

We all sat back in our chairs in unison. "Well, yeah but... I mean... that's just so unsatisfying for a reason!" I shouted.

We heard a knock on the door, and an officer entered with our personal belongings, which had been confiscated from us when we were detained at the station. Teana's eyes lit up when she saw her laptop, as the officer handed it over to Chrono.

"Teana," he said, pointing down to the laptop. "We would like to borrow this, with your permission. There is enough evidence on here to finally put Jail away for good."

"So what, Jail goes to prison and Shiro gets all his money back, is that it? He wins again?" Ginga asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Well, that's not exactly how you would want to look at it - " Chrono began.

"Oh, but that is how we _are_ going to look at it!" I replied, my eyes flashing. I looked over at Ginga and Teana. "What are we supposed to do here? Shiro ruined my mother's life for how many years now by being a coward about everything? And he probably will again."

"Yeah, but Jail - " Ginga began.

"I don't care about Jail!" I yelled. "I'd would rather be taken down by a crazy man with no real reason for what he does. Not Shiro, who knows exactly what he is doing when he is screwing our family over!"

Teana looked to the ceiling, lost in thought. "Avenge my old family by helping Jail be caught, or avenge my new family by allowing Shiro to lose his money?" she contemplated.

"What time is it?" Ginga asked suddenly.

Chrono looked at his watch. "7:30PM," he replied.

Ginga leaned over to whisper to me. "The cargo plane with the gold is leaving in half an hour. We have to make a decision here, if Jail is going to be caught with it."

Before I could say anything in response to her, Teana leaned over and reached across the table, taking her laptop from Chrono. I watched her kiss the top of it once, letting her lips linger for a moment, before she pulled them away. A single teardrop fell onto the lid, just before she stood up and threw the laptop against the wall as hard as she could. It broke apart into pieces, with a flying key from the keyboard hitting me right between the eyes.

"Well, there's your answer," I told Chrono, rubbing the spot where the key had landed.

Chrono's eyes grew wide, speechless for a moment. "Well, that was quite the answer indeed," he replied, shifting in his chair.

"So now what?" I asked.

"Well, you're free to go," Chrono responded, holding out his hands helplessly. "But, we can't guarantee your safety once you leave the station. I believe my mother told you that Jail has an informant here, but we haven't pinpointed who it is yet. The mole will probably notify Jail the second your family walks out the door."

"It's a risk we have to take," I replied. "Hopefully, Jail won't be in town for much longer." I stood up from the table, with Teana and Ginga following suite. We made our way to the door, and Chrono made a motion to open it for us. He then paused and looked back at me.

"And where might Jail be going, if he weren't in town for much longer?" he asked me.

"Someplace that accepts gold, apparently," I simply replied. Chrono grunted and opened the door for us. We were surprised to see my mother, Lindy, and Quint standing outside of the door as we exited.

"Mom!" Teana and Ginga yelled, running forward to embrace Quint. I walked over to my mother and Lindy.

"Well, we made our decision," I told them. "We hope it's the right one."

My mother took me by complete surprise when she grabbed me by the shoulders, hugging me tightly to her. I felt her crying above me, and I eventually recovered from the shock of her actions to hug her in return. It was the first time I could recall doing this with her in my entire life. Lindy came and embraced both of us as well after a moment.

"Hey, wait a minute!" I heard Ginga yell suddenly. She started running down the hall in front of us at full speed, and I instinctively ran after her as backup, although I didn't know what we were pursuing. Teana was right on my heels in the chase.

We caught up to someone in a police uniform, who had just started running down the hall away from us. Ginga kicked his legs together to trip him, and a dirty blond-haired boy crashed to the ground.

"Yuuno?!" I yelled. I began to run towards him to attack him, but Teana held me back just in time.

"Here's your f*cking mole, Chrono!" Ginga shouted, pointing to him on the ground.

"Yuuno Scyra?" he asked, perplexed.

"Yeah, right!" Teana replied. "Yuuno is Jail's son!"

Yuuno started laughing maniacally from the floor. "My dad has already taken everything!" he exclaimed. "The money, Shiro's corporation! We won, you lost, and there is nothing you can do about it!"

"Why did you tell Shamal everything you did, you weirdo?!" I yelled, trying to kick him as Teana still held my arms.

"So you idiots would trust me, and not try to find out what I was really doing!" he screamed back. "My dad knew everything, the whole time! You guys can't beat him, no matter what you do!"

"You may be right about that. But I can still do _this_!" Ginga said, before pulling Yuuno up by the shirt and punching him across the face.

"I've wanted to do that from the first second I saw you!" she yelled after pulling her hand back.

Yuuno fell back to the ground unconscious, and Chrono pulled out his handcuffs before bending down beside him. "Well... thank you for your help in apprehending him, I suppose," he told us.

"Chrono, I'll call you later, okay?" Lindy said, before ushering the group out the front door of the police station.

We all walked outside, and Ginga, Teana, and I were shocked to see the three Mini's sitting in the front parking spots, outside of the police station. I turned to Quint, who threw a set of keys at me before I could ask how they ended up there. I recognized them as the keys for the black Mini.

"You guys want to go back to the warehouse?" she asked us.

I shook my head. "Can I have the keys to Raising Heart instead?" I requested.

Quint turned her head slightly in confusion, as I placed the set of keys for the black Mini back in her hand. She held up the keys to Raising Heart instead, and I took them from her.

"What are you going to do?" Ginga asked me.

I smiled. "I'm about to take the last thing Shiro has left," I announced.

**oOOOo**

I cut the lights to Raising Heart as I pulled into the street outside of the mansion, directly in front of Nanoha's balcony. Ginga pulled the white Mini up behind me as I exited the vehicle, and I observed that Nanoha's bedroom light was on. I took the large flashlight that I had just purchased from the passenger seat, and started flashing it into the windows of her french doors that led to her balcony.

"Think she will see it?" Ginga asked, coming to stand next to me. She had a large, white cardboard sign and a black magic marker in her hands, which we had also just bought along with the flashlight.

"I'll keep trying until she does," I responded, continuously shining it into her window.

After about two minutes, I saw the curtains draw back and the door open, and I was shocked to see Hayate exit the door and look out. Ginga jumped up in surprise as well at seeing her.

"What is she doing here?" Ginga asked. I just shook my head.

Hayate ran out onto the balcony and looked down at us for a moment, before running back inside Nanoha's bedroom. Nanoha exited on the balcony shortly afterward, now seeing us on the street as well.

I handed Ginga the flashlight, and I took the cardboard sign from her. I began writing on it in big letters, trying my best not to make any mistakes and to be legible. After I was finished, I climbed up to the top of Raising Heart's roof and held the sign up high over my head, as Ginga pointed the flashlight up to illuminate it.

"_WILL YOU MARRY ME?_" was the message I conveyed to Nanoha, and I held my breath waiting for her response.

I could see Nanoha drumming her fingers on the balcony ledge, contemplating a decision. After a moment, she turned and started talking with Hayate. They spoke together for a moment, and then Hayate disappeared into Nanoha's bedroom.

"Uh-oh," Ginga responded. "Do you think Hayate is going to tell Shiro or something?"

I felt my heart pounding in my chest. "There's no way, right? Right?!" I exclaimed, now panicking as I lowered the sign. Nanoha was now leaned on the balcony ledge with her elbow, her hand cupping her chin as she stared down at me.

Suddenly, we saw Hayate round the corner of the stone wall and jog towards us on the street, having come from the front of the mansion. She ran over to Ginga and threw herself into her arms, giving her a quick kiss before she then turned back to me.

"Nanoha told me to tell you she expects balcony-side service," Hayate informed me. "But you'd better hurry. I don't know how much time you have until Shiro notices that I left the front gate open."

"Thanks, Hayate!" I said, jumping back into the car and starting the engine. I shifted into first gear and floored the accelerator, the tires squealing as I quickly approached the first street corner, and then rounded the second to enter into the mansion gate. I looked into my rear view mirror in time to see Ginga and Hayate drive away in the opposite direction.

I drove across the lawn to the back of the mansion and parked underneath the balcony, as Nanoha climbed down the latticework on the side of the wall. I set the gear into neutral and scooted over into the passenger seat, as Nanoha climbed in to the driver's side.

She smiled and gave me a quick kiss, before shifting Raising Heart into first gear. As she began accelerating and changing gears, we saw Momoko turn the corner of the mansion, yelling at us to stop. "Sorry, Mom..." Nanoha said quietly as we drove past her. "But that's what you get for not trusting me."

As we rounded the second corner, I saw Shiro on the front porch, leaning over the railing and screaming at us to stop as well. I also noticed the front gate was beginning to close in front of us.

"Oh crap, Nanoha! Hurry!" I yelled, pointing in front of us. She downshifted into third gear and we picked up speed. We made it through the gate just in time, with the back bumper hitting against the iron and causing a few sparks as we exited through it.

I leaned back in my seat, staring at the ceiling for a moment as I tried to calm my frantically beating heart. I then looked over at Nanoha, who was smiling as she drove Raising Heart down the streets of the city. I instructed her to head towards Quint's house.

"So... was that a 'yes', then?" I asked her playfully.

Nanoha pretended to think for a moment. "Do I have any other choice in the matter?" she asked.

"Well, there's always double suicide?" I mentioned.

She looked over at me with a horrified look on her face. "Why would you even suggest that? Who would do something like that?!"

"Honestly, I have no idea where that just came from..." I said, genuinely perplexed at my own statement.

"You're so weird!" she yelled at me, now laughing. After a moment, she became a bit more serious. "Man, I was _not_ expecting Jail to be such a bastard! He caught the family completely by surprise."

"I heard that he took the corporation, too?" I asked her.

"Yeah..." she replied. "Wait, where did you hear that from?"

"Yuuno was Jail's informant at the police station. But Ginga punched him in the face, so it's okay," I responded, smiling to myself.

"Eh, good enough," Nanoha replied. "Jail is still out there, then?"

I shrugged. "We'll deal with him again if we have to. Maybe we'll get lucky and he will leave us alone from here on out."

"I guess that explains why we didn't have any dreams about the heist together then..." Nanoha mentioned.

"Wait, what? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Remember how I asked you to go to sleep last night while I was reading that book?" she continued, and I nodded my head. "Well, I was trying to replicate the Bonnie and Clyde thing, so that we could come up with a plan for the heist in a dream. Maybe it didn't work because the book I was reading was written based on a movie, and not real people? I don't know, I just know it didn't work!"

I laughed. "It's probably better that Quint came up with the plan then, in that case. Who knows what we would have dreamed up!"

"I did have another dream though, but... it wasn't about us," she then said, her voice a bit quieter now.

"What was it about?" I asked her.

"A girl. About Teana and Subaru's age, I think. I couldn't tell what was going on in the dream exactly. I could just tell that she was scared in it."

"Hmmm..." was all I said, trying to think if I had ever had a similar dream.

"It's probably nothing," Nanoha said, waving it off. "I doubt I'll have any dreams like that again."

Nanoha pulled Raising Heart up to the front of Quint's house, and we both exited the vehicle. I waited for her as she crossed in front of the car, and I took her by the hand and pulled her to me when she came closer. She placed her arms around my neck, and I held her around the waist against me.

"So, I can't remember if you told me your answer to my question?" I asked her.

"Which question?" she teased. "Oh, right... _that_ question!"

I peered down at her, and she moved her lips closer to mine. "How could I say no to you?" she said, her eyes dancing a little.

"It would be impossible," I told her. "You made me a promise last night, after all. You can't go back on it now."

She smiled at me. "You have a one-track mind, Fate Testarossa! But, a promise is a promise. I really _should_ wait until you make an honest woman out of me, though."

"Not a problem, as long as it's a yes," I responded.

She smiled. "It's a yes..." she confirmed, before pressing her lips to mine. I smiled as I kissed her in return, falling back against Raising Heart with her against me. We kissed for a few moments, before we heard the front door of Quint's house open.

"Okay, that's enough you two!" Ginga yelled at us. "Lindy's ready in here! Relentless, I swear..." I heard her add as she walked back inside.

"What was that about?" Nanoha asked.

"Who knows?" I replied with a wink, grabbing her by the hand and leading her inside the house.

"SURPRISE!" everyone yelled as we walked into the living room, blowing soap bubbles at us as we entered.

Nanoha and I looked around to see banners that read '_Congratulations!_' and '_Best Wishes!_' strung around the living room. I burst out laughing as Nanoha looked around at everything, completely bewildered.

Subaru came up to us first to congratulate us, and I was shocked to see her there. "Whoa, you're here! What happened? I wasn't sure when we would see you again!"

She smiled and pointed over to a man that was talking with Quint. They were both laughing and smiling together as they spoke. "I told my dad everything. He said he wanted to meet my mom right away."

I then looked past Subaru, and saw Ginga attaching something white under Lindy's collar of her button up shirt. "What is that, Ginga?" I asked.

"Lindy became ordained as a minister online as you guys were headed over," she responded. "So we made a priest collar to make it more official."

"W-Wait... are we getting married NOW, Fate-chan?!" Nanoha exclaimed, finally understanding the situation.

I nodded, and then braced myself. "You did say yes?" I informed her cautiously.

She dropped her head and closed her eyes, trying to hide a smile forming. "Have I told you that we need to discuss the speed in which you approach relationships, Fate-chan?" she asked.

"Several times, actually," I confirmed. "But it's been a week... almost!"

"This is all legal here, right?" Nanoha then asked.

Teana waved her hand from across the room to get our attention. "Yes, we live in a progressive area, so no worries! Plus, you can consent to marriage at seventeen here. So, yeah, you're all set!"

Nanoha looked around the room, contemplating everything. I grabbed her hands and looked at her seriously. "Look, Nanoha, I know this is sudden. So if you don't want to do this, I completely understand. It's just, I don't know how else to protect you now. Our families are now back to fighting again, so I could see why - "

Nanoha shook her head and placed a finger over my mouth to quiet me. "Fate-chan, this _is_ sudden, yes. But... I want to do this too. I told you before, I belong to you. So it doesn't matter if it's now or ten years from now, or forever. I'll always be with you, no matter what."

I hugged her tightly as everyone let out another cheer around us, and Teana came over to us with a piece of paper.

"Marriage license," she informed us. We saw that most of the information had been filled out for us already, except for our names. I wrote '_Fate Testarossa_' on the top line, and then handed the pen to Nanoha.

Nanoha wrote her first name on her line, and then paused when she had to write her last name. After a moment, I took the pen from her and wrote '_Takamachi_' next to her first name. She nodded a little, and then turned to hug me again.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road already!" Lindy announced.

I smiled and took Nanoha's hand, and walked her in front of Lindy in the middle of the living room. "So, what are you? Priest Lindy? Friar Lindy?" I asked her.

"Friar Lindy...?" Nanoha whispered to herself, now looking down at the floor. "That seems so familiar. Like deja vu, almost."

"Nanoha?" I questioned.

She smiled at me and shook her head. "It's nothing... Oh, by the way, Fate-chan, where are we going on our honeymoon?"

"Well let's see, there's Italy! Or Germany, or - " I started.

"School!" Lindy interrupted sternly. "You guys have to promise to go back to school on Monday, or else I'm not marrying you."

"Alright," I whined in compliance.

"_Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..._" Lindy began, and I felt Nanoha squeeze her hand in mine. I looked over at her, and she smiled back at me. We listened to Lindy recite the traditional words for our marriage ceremony.

Ginga then approached us with a set of silver rings on a pillow when she was cued to do so. I picked one up, and I noticed it had 'Fate and Nanoha Forever' inscribed on them.

I looked at the rings in astonishment. "Where did you guys get these?!" I exclaimed.

My mother looked away in embarrassment. "I had the rings made earlier this week, just in case Nanoha said 'yes' when you proposed to her at school," she informed me, blushing a little.

I could only laugh in response before I slipped the ring on her finger. She did the same, laughing and smiling as well.

"I now pronounced you wife and wife!" Lindy said loudly. "You may kiss the bride!"

I lifted Nanoha up by the waist as she had her arms around my neck, and I kissed her with huge smile on my face. She was smiling as well, and after a few moments I put her back down. I placed my forehead against hers, as rice and bubbles and applause came down all around us.

"Thank you, Nanoha..." I said quietly, beginning to cry a little. "Nanoha, my love... My _wife_!"

**oOOOo**

**PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

Part 3

_Prologue_

_~3 Days Later~_

**Nanoha POV**

"_Please, I don't want to die!_" the girl in my dream yelled to me frantically. "_You have to save me!_"

I reached out my hand to help the girl, just as I saw a sword come from the right side of my peripheral vision, trying to pierce her. I grabbed her hand in time to pull her away before she was struck by it. My vision then flashed to white, waking me up from the dream.

"NO!" I screamed as I sat up in bed, my body feeling like it had just been shocked by thousands of volts of electricity. Fate sat up next to me, rubbing my back to try to calm me down.

"Nanoha, what is it?" she asked. "Don't cry baby, it's okay."

I shook my head, wiping away tears from my eyes. "That dream was awful! The worst one yet!" I said.

"Same girl?" Fate asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, she almost died this time! I don't - " I tried to say, before a loud crash interrupted me. It came from the living room in Fate's house.

Fate quickly exited the bed, grabbing a baseball bat near the bedroom door. "Nanoha, stay here. I'm going to go see what that was," she told me.

I sat still in the bed, listening closely to make sure Fate was okay. Suddenly, my cellphone vibrated loudly from the nightstand table. I grabbed it and silenced it as fast as possible, before looking down to see that Hayate was calling. I answered it, knowing it must be an emergency for her to call at that time of night.

"Hello?" I whispered.

"Nanoha, we have a problem," Hayate said. "We have no idea what's going on here. A teenaged girl just showed up at Quint's house... She is claiming that Ginga is her mother."

I paused. "...What?!" I finally yelled in response. I immediately covered my mouth, still trying to listen for Fate at the same time. I then heard her footsteps slowly approaching the bedroom door.

"She says her name is... Einhart?" Hayate told me.

Fate pushed open the door to the bedroom, her hands on the shoulders of a teenaged girl in front of her. I recognized the girl from the recent dreams, now noting she had one red eye and one green one.

The girl's eyes grew wide as she looked at me. "Mama?!" she cried out suddenly.

My mouth fell open. "Ummmm," was the only thing I think to could reply.

"Oh, you have one too, it seems," I heard Hayate say on the other end of the phone. "So, what's her name?"

"Oh, right!" I responded. "What's your name, sweetie?" I asked.

"This," Fate began, patting the girl on the shoulder, "...is Vivio."

* * *

**A/N:** Hey look, we came full circle to the original inspiration to this story! (Well, other than Love Lab!, of course.) For anyone who hasn't read the _Vivid_ manga, Einhart and Vivio are somewhat reincarnations/clones of Claus Ingvalt and Olive Sagebrecht. They are mentioned a couple of times in _Strikers_, and are a central theme in _Vivid_. Since Vivio and Einhart are so similar to Nanoha and Fate in many ways, I began to wonder what kind of previous lives NanoFate would have had together after reading _Vivid_. And while watching Love Lab!, the concept for this story was born.

Anyway, hope Part 2 concluded well enough for everyone? Everyone ready for Part 3? I hope so! Until next time, ~Nissanity~


	21. Chapter 21 - Stranger Than Fiction

**A/N: **Welcome to Part 3 of the story, everyone! This last part is going to be a bit different from the first two. It will be more focused on the present timeline, but a past timeline will be playing a significant role in the actions they will be taking. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 21 – ****__****Stranger Than Fiction**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

"Fate, what was that noise?! I heard a crash!" a voice called from the end of the hallway.

I glanced over to Fate nervously, and I saw the color from her face drain completely. She quickly shoved Vivio into the bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her, and I could hear Fate's muffled voice trying to make excuses for the noise moments earlier.

"I'll call you back, Hayate!" I said quickly into the phone before hanging up.

I patted the bed next to me. "Want to come sit, Vivio?" I asked. Vivio nodded slowly and made her way over to the bed. I noticed her perplexed look, and she never once took her eyes away from my face as she sat down.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"Mama, you look so... young!" she replied, tilting her head to the side a little bit.

"Really? Well then, that's... good?" I tried, not quite sure how to respond to her observation.

Before we could say anything else, the door burst open and Lindy came inside the bedroom. "Ha! I knew that wasn't Nanoha!" she said, pointing to Vivio.

Fate sagged her shoulders. "I know. I'm sorry! I just didn't know how to explain her yet, is all."

"Lindy-san!" Vivio cried, running over and happily giving the tall woman a hug.

"Ummm," Lindy replied, holding her arms above Vivio as she looked down at her.

"I know, right?" I responded.

Fate suddenly frowned and came to stand next to Lindy. "What a minute, Lindy-san? I don't remember you coming over tonight?" she mentioned as she peered up at her.

Lindy's face flushed a deep red. "Oh, right. Yes..." she responded, now looking off to the side and avoiding everyone's eyes.

Fate silently walked over to her bedroom window and opened it, leaning her body out as she looked down. She then leaned out further and looked off to the right, down the outside of the house. She quickly reentered the bedroom.

"You used the ladder to sneak into my mother's room?!" Fate exclaimed.

Lindy laughed nervously. "Surprise...!" she said weakly to her, attempting to do jazz hands a little. "I'm dating your mother now. So, yay!"

"Seriously, what is with this family?!" I shouted. "You and Precia sleeping together after less than a week of knowing each other, and now I have a teenaged daughter."

Lindy looked down at Vivio. "What was that again? A daughter?" she asked.

Vivio pulled away from Lindy, confused again. "I don't understand what's going on here?" she said, visibly upset as she looked around at us. I could see tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

I jumped out of bed and grabbed Vivio's arm gently. "We don't understand either, sweetie," I told her honestly. I then pulled her into a hug against me. "But we are going to find out together, okay?"

I patted the back of Vivio's head for a moment to reassure her, and she wrapped her arms around me tightly. I felt her body shake a little while I let her cry against my shoulder. After a few minutes she stopped, and she wiped her eyes and nose on the sleeve of my shirt afterward.

Lindy grinned at the sight of me looking down at my sleeve in disbelief. "Welcome to motherhood, Nanoha!" she teased.

Vivio yawned and looked up at me with glassy eyes. "I'm kind of sleepy, Mama," she informed me.

"Fate-chan? Can you help Vivio while I call Hayate back?" I requested.

Fate nodded, placing her hands on Vivio's shoulders again to guide her out of the room. "Let me show you where you will be staying, okay?" she said.

Vivio stopped in the doorway to look back at me. "Goodnight, Mama," she said sleepily.

"Goodnight, Vivio!" I responded cheerfully. Lindy followed the two of them out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. I picked up my phone from the bed and called Hayate back.

"Hey, did you find out anything new?" I asked her when she answered.

"Not really," Hayate replied. "We asked her if she knew Vivio, and she said she didn't. Ginga wanted me to ask if you have been having any dreams about your girl lately?"

I paused for a moment. "Y-Yes..." I finally croaked out.

Hayate sighed. "Let's just talk tomorrow. Bring Vivio over to Quint's for breakfast. We'll see if we can't figure something out."

Fate returned to the bedroom after getting Vivio settled into the guest room, just as I was hanging up the phone.

"What did Hayate say?" she asked as she pulled back the covers on her side. I was sitting up in the bed, and Fate scooted to sit next to me under the covers.

I shook my head. "They don't know much, either. But Einhart doesn't know who Vivio is."

"Einhart? Who's Einhart?" Fate asked.

I scratched my cheek. "Oh, right! I haven't... told you that part yet. They had a girl show up at Quint's place, too. Ginga has a teenaged daughter as well."

Fate leaned back against the headboard of her bed, stunned. She didn't say anything for close to a minute, so I glanced back to make sure she was okay. She shook her head to come out of her daze.

"Do you think Vivio is really your daughter?" she asked me after she had recovered.

"She's my daughter," I confirmed, looking over at the wall adjoining our room with the guest bedroom.

I felt Fate rub the small of my back gently. "She just told me, 'You look like my father.' So she called me Mama too."

I laughed and shook my head. "I knew you'd find some way to knock me up!"

"I told you, I'm like Superman," she responded cheerfully. "Hey, tomorrow's Sunday. We can meet up with Ginga and them, right?" she then asked.

"Yeah, we are going to Quint's house for breakfast in the morning," I confirmed.

"Lindy said Vivio has to go to school starting next week if she is still here, by the way," she informed me.

I looked back at Fate. "She's been here less than an hour and Lindy is already making her go to school?! That woman is seriously dedicated."

Fate pulled me down to lay next to her. I turned to face her, beginning to trace my index finger along her stomach absently. "What are we supposed to make all of this?" I eventually asked her.

Fate kissed my head softly. "I'm not sure. We will just have to take it one day at a time."

"Christ, Fate-chan! On your schedule, we'll end up with another child graduating from college next week," I teased, pinching her stomach.

Fate suddenly crawled on top of me, tickling me roughly with her hands and breathing against my neck playfully. "What was that Nanoha?! You want to make another child now, you said?!" she yelled through my laughs and screams.

"Fate-chan! I... can't... breathe!" I shouted back between my gasps. She eventually got off, leaning up on an elbow as she grinned happily down at me. I raised my hand and placed it alongside her head, tucking her hair behind her ear and smiling back at her.

"What?" she asked.

I pulled her down to kiss me, and she moved to gently lay on top of me again. I placed my hands behind her head and threaded them in her hair, as she turned her attention to my kissing my neck. I wrapped my legs around her waist to pull her closer to me.

"I guess there is no harm in trying for another one, huh...?" I said, before bending my head back into the pillow to relish in my wife's touch completely.

**oOOOo**

"Hey, you guys made it just in time!" Hayate greeted at the front door the next morning. "Quint has been cooking all morning!"

I hugged Hayate hello. "How are things here?" I asked her quietly.

Hayate smiled. "Things are good. Einhart is so polite and helpful. It makes me wonder if she's not really Ginga's daughter after all," she responded with a wink.

We entered into the front entrance hallway, me in front with Fate guiding Vivio in by the shoulders behind me. It was a natural interaction they had already developed that I found incredibly endearing.

"Einhart, stand up, please?" I heard Ginga say from the living room. "Nanoha and Fate are here with Vivio!"

As I lead Vivio and Fate into the living room, my mouth immediately dropped open when I saw the girl that claimed to be Ginga's daughter.

"Oh my god, Ginga! Your daughter is beautiful!" I gawked.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the tall, silvery-green haired girl replied graciously. I noted she also had heterochromia, with one purple eye and one blue eye.

I heard a throat clear behind me. I turned and grinned sheepishly at Fate, realizing I had been blocking Vivio's view of Einhart in the living room. I stepped out of the way, and as I did a burst of wind blew open one of the living room windows, sending all the magazines and loose papers flying across the room.

"What the hell was that all about?" Hayate said, as she stepped over to the window to shut it.

I glanced at Fate quickly as the papers began to settle, and then over to Vivio. Her eyes were wide as she stared across the room at Einhart, completely entranced. I then turned my vision to Einhart, and she had the same expression as she watched Vivio closely.

"So... do you recognize her?" I asked Vivio, as the four of us in the living room leaned in closer in anticipation of her answer.

The girls started at each other a bit longer in silence.

"No," Vivio finally replied, and we all let out exasperated breaths.

We heard another knock on the front door, and I offered to answer it as Hayate went into the kitchen to assist Quint with the food. I discovered Lindy at the front door, holding up a paper in her hand.

"Lindy-san! What are you doing here?" I exclaimed.

"I have the admission paperwork for Vivio to go to school. I need it to be filled out by at least one parent so I can process it as soon as possible. It will take time to get her enrolled," she informed me.

I pointed up to my face and mouthed "_Me?_" when I realized that I was the parent in question. Lindy nodded her head in confirmation.

"Hey Nanoha, who is at the door?" I heard Ginga come up behind me. "Oh, hello Lindy-san! What's up?"

Lindy looked to me to make sure it was okay to discuss her reason for being there. "Ginga, Lindy-san is here because Vivio needs to enroll in school next week, and I have to fill out the paperwork," I informed her.

Ginga frowned a little bit. "Does Einhart have to go too?" she asked.

"Who's Einhart?" Lindy asked casually.

"My daughter? Like Vivio is to Nanoha...?" Ginga replied slowly.

Lindy moved her thumb suddenly, exposing a second admission form that she had hidden behind the first. "Good thing I brought an extra then, just in case the first one got messed up."

"You're taking this awfully well, by the way?" I mentioned to Lindy, taking the papers from her hand.

She nodded. "Once I told Precia about Vivio last night, she became really excited. She said she wanted to run some tests to confirm some biological things. She looked... happy, honestly. So I'll go along with whatever happens, if it brings her joy."

"My mother looked happy?" I heard Fate's unbelieving voice come from behind us.

"Very much so," Lindy replied.

Fate simply nodded as she looked down at the floor, lost in thought. I passed one of the papers off to Ginga. "Would you like to stay for breakfast?" I asked Lindy.

Lindy waved her hand. "No, but thank you. I'm heading down to the warehouse now, to see what Precia is up to. I heard her on the phone with Quint this morning. It sounded like they were discussing turning it into a laboratory now, perhaps."

Ginga let out a sigh and a smile, although there seemed to be a bit of sadness to it as well. "I guess we can retire now, huh? Since we don't have anyone to fight anymore?" she mentioned.

Ginga then looked apologetically to me. "Oh god! I'm sorry, Nanoha! I didn't mean that," she added quickly.

I shook my head. "Don't apologize. Things happen for a reason, you know? I'm sure of it."

Lindy exited the porch and we shut the front door, and I made my way over to Fate. "You okay?" I asked her.

She snapped her head up, unaware that I had been standing next to her. "Yeah! Of course. It's just... my mother has never seemed happy before, is all. It's a bit shocking."

We both looked over at Vivio, who was standing in the middle of the living room with Einhart. Vivio was laughing as she talked, and Einhart looked perplexed yet captivated by the blond-haired girl in front of her. It was almost like they were in their own world as they interacted with each other.

"I feel like Vivio's arrival is going to bring a lot of surprises for us from here on out," I mentioned. Fate and I made our way back into the living room to stand next to Ginga.

Teana and Subaru suddenly came down the stairs from the second floor. "Is that Vivio?!" Teana asked, smiling over the banister.

"Yes, she's here," Ginga replied.

Teana and Subaru introduced themselves to her, asking questions like how old she was and what her interests were. Vivio looked confused and uncertain when she was asked about her favorite music and movies.

"Well, how about video games?" Teana pressed.

"I... I don't know what those are?" Vivio replied. She began to frown and look down at the ground, and I gave Fate a worried glance. She and I hadn't asked Vivio any questions like that this morning, so this was all new information for us as well.

"Teana, Subaru," I began. "You guys can show them all that kind of stuff, right?"

Teana nodded and grabbed Vivio's hand. "Come on, Vivio! My mom just bought me a new laptop. Let me show it to you!" she said proudly. "Einhart, are you coming too?"

"Lap..top?" Vivio's confused voice asked as she and Einhart were being dragged away from the living room. Before the girls could begin to head upstairs though, another knock came to the front door.

"I'll get it! It's probably my dad," Subaru announced as she jogged over to answer it.

I looked to Ginga for clarification. "Quint invited Genya over for breakfast this morning. They seem to be getting along pretty well," she told me. She then smiled a little towards the kitchen, where her mother was still cooking breakfast for everyone.

Genya stopped to say hello to everyone in the living room, before he made his way to the kitchen to find Quint. Teana and Subaru took the girls upstairs to Teana's room.

"I showed Einhart what a movie was this morning," Ginga added. "She looked at the television like it was voodoo or something. It was definitely the first time she had ever seen anything like it."

"Where did these girls come from...?" I murmured, perplexed.

"Have you told Einhart about the dreams?" Fate asked.

Ginga shook her head. "We decided not to yet. She already seemed confused enough as it was."

"Yeah, we didn't tell Vivio yet either, for the same reason," I replied. "She seems a little sensitive, so we didn't want to throw too much at her at once."

Hayate came back in to the living room from the kitchen. "Nanoha, Quint has offered to watch Vivio and Einhart when we all go back to school tomorrow."

"That will be helpful. Hey, does that mean we can finally get the book club back on track then?" I asked her.

Hayate nodded. "Yes, for sure! You and I should meet up before school tomorrow at the library, to pick out something new for the club. Have a fresh start with it, you know?" she suggested.

I agreed, just as Quint was coming in to the living room from the kitchen. "Okay, everyone. Grab a plate! It's time to eat!" she announced.

Teana, Subaru, Vivio, and Einhart all came storming down the stairs together, once they heard it was time for breakfast.

"Like a herd of elephants..." Hayate commented under her breath, watching the girls descend the stairs loudly.

"Mama, Mama!" Vivio came up to me excitedly. "Can I spend the night here with Teana and Einhart?"

I pretended to pout. "Already bored with your Mamas, I see?" I replied, giving her a frown.

She frowned right back. "You guys don't have those things called video games," she retorted.

"Man, she really is your daughter!" Fate commented from behind me.

"It's okay with me, if Quint says it's alright," I told her.

Quint waved her spatula. "Of course! I'm enjoying having all these kids around, honestly. A house full of children is something I've always dreamed of."

We all spent the rest of the day together, getting to know Vivio and Einhart and introducing them to all the different things they claimed they had never seen before. It was late that evening when Fate and I returned to her house by ourselves, to enjoy the last night of our 'honeymoon' together, before we would have to return to school the next day.

**oOOOo**

"So, was there anything specific you wanted to read for the club, Hayate?" I asked, walking slowly behind her in the aisles of the library the next morning.

"Not at all," she replied. "For the first book, I just picked something randomly from the classic literature section."

"Let's go back there then, and see if we find something else?" I suggested.

Hayate led me to the bookshelf in question, and I noticed that it was next to the Greek literature section.

"I know nothing of Greek literature," I told her, pointing to the bookshelf next to the classical literature one.

"I know a little," she responded. "The mythology of the gods and goddesses, and their role with artists, is pretty interesting."

I turned my attention to the bookcase that contained a lot of older, familiar titles to me. I ran my fingers over some of the spines, enjoying the way the embossed titles tickled my fingertips a little.

"Oh, hey!" Hayate suddenly cried. "I forgot about this one!" Hayate reached up and removed a large brown book from the shelf above her. I noted a large celtic cross on the front.

"That book looks pretty old itself," I mentioned.

She examined the cover and then the spine, and then began to frown down at it. She narrowed her eyes as she stared at the title of the book.

"What is it?" I asked, before looking down at the book as well. The title read "_Classical Literature and Historic Tales._"

"This is different than what I remember..." she murmured. She flipped the book over a few times in confusion, as if checking to see that she had the correct book. She then opened it and started flipping through the pages.

"There was a story in here that only had one line," she continued. "It was really odd. Like the publisher messed up, maybe?"

"Which story?" I asked.

"Honestly, I can't remember the name of it," she replied.

As she continued skimming the pages, she eventually came to a section where the pages were blank. "A-ha! Here it is!" she cried.

I continued watching her inspect the book, completely perplexed by her actions. She turned to the first page of the blank section, and I noticed there was some text printed at the top of it. It appeared to be the title to the story, and the first line of it was written underneath.

Hayate put her index finger under the title to read it. "Hmmm," she growled, her voice laced with irritation. "What is going on here?!"

I looked over her shoulder. "_Joan of Arc?_" I read the title out loud. "Who's that?"

Hayate shook her head. "I don't know. I've never heard of her."

I took the book from her and read the only line written. "_Joan and Charles saw each other from across the room..._" I recited.

"That wasn't their names before!" she exclaimed, taking the book from me. She then slammed it shut in her hand. "I'm borrowing this from the library."

"Do you want to find another book for the club then?" I asked her.

Hayate shook her head and grabbed me by the hand to pull me to the front of the library. "This will work. We are going to take a look at the stories in this at the meeting, and see what doesn't add up," she informed me.

We made it to the checkout counter of the library. "I would like to check out this book, please?" Hayate asked the clerk politely.

The clerk smiled as she took the book from Hayate's hand and placed it on her desk, opening the back jacket cover. She began to frown at it herself. "That's odd..." she began.

Hayate's hand clenched in mind. "Why is that?" she asked.

"This book doesn't seem to be in our registry," the clerk replied. Hayate glanced at me with a knowing look.

"So can we check it out, or no?" I asked her,

The clerk handed the book back to Hayate. "If you really want it, you can have it. If not, I'll have to register it in the system, but I don't really have time to do that right now. I'm sorry."

Hayate grabbed the book out of the clerk's hands. "I will gladly take it. Thank you very much," she responded.

"Hey, where's Fate?" Hayate asked as we were exiting the library doors. We entered onto the main courtyard path of the school, making our way to morning class.

"She went to go check on Vivio this morning," I replied. "Her and Einhart are going to be spending the day at the warehouse with Quint and Precia, apparently."

Hayate stopped dead in her tracks on the sidewalk. "I knew I shouldn't have left Einhart with them last night..." she scowled.

"Did you go home after Fate and I left?" I asked her behind me, surprised by the news.

Hayate nodded, now jogging to catch back up with me. "Signum finally forgave me for running away with Ginga the other night, and let me back into the house."

I laughed, thinking of her running away from my parent's mansion ahead of me the night I got married. The family had just had a meeting together that night to discuss what Jail had managed to do, when he took over the corporation completely in one afternoon.

"Has Signum and Shamal told my parents about the marriage?" I asked, although I was dreading the answer.

"No," Hayate replied. "Anyone who knows has agreed that you should be the one to tell them."

I nodded slowly as I stared at the sidewalk. "That makes sense. I just need to figure out the right time, is all." We both paused, lost in thought about the messy situations our family was in.

"She accidentally called me 'Father' yesterday morning, by the way," Hayate suddenly mentioned.

"Hmmm? Who did, Einhart?" I asked.

"Yep," Hayate said, staring straight ahead now. "So, what does that mean?"

I shrugged. "Vivio told Fate that she looked like her father too. So I guess I should be telling you both congratulations, huh?"

Hayate hung her head. "These Testarossa women!" she groaned. "Just what are we going to do with them?"

As if on cue, Fate and Ginga appeared at the front entrance of the school and spotted us on the main path. They began to walk towards us, both smiling broadly as we approached them. I grabbed Fate and kissed her hello in front of the whole school, and Hayate did the same with Ginga.

"We can do only what we can," I told her, "and that is to love them completely - - just the way they are."

* * *

**A/N:** I recommend brushing up on the history of Joan of Arc for these next chapters, just to get a good feel for her role in history, and who Charles VII was in her life. Well, until next time! ~Nissanity~


	22. Chapter 22 - Body and Soul

**A/N: **I hope I explained everything that is going on well enough in this chapter. Quite a few complex concepts get thrown around, as the girls figure out where Vivio and Einhart came from, and how they should respond to their discoveries. As always, thanks to all the wonderful reviews and followers! I am so very grateful for all the readers of any of my stories XD

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 22 – ****__****Body and Soul**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

"Fate-chan, say '_Ahhhh_'," I requested.

"Ahhhh," she complied, and I placed an octopus-shaped sausage in her open mouth.

"Good?" I asked.

"Yum! That was really good, Nanoha!" she responded with a smile.

Ginga and Hayate peered at us, completely dumbfounded. We had all been eating lunch together at school that afternoon, and I was now about to feed Fate a cherry tomato next from my lunch. I had already fed her a piece of fried chicken and some rice, before the sausage.

"Nanoha... for god sakes no, " Hayate insisted, holding my arm down before I could raise my fork again to Fate's mouth.

"You guys do that newlywed thing really well," Ginga added, although she was looking at Fate like she was a complete stranger.

"You guys could too...?" I ventured.

Hayate and Ginga both raised their hands up defensively. "Hey, don't peer pressure us into marriage!" Ginga replied.

"Yeah, who said I even wanted to marry this one over here?" Hayate said, pointing with her thumb to Ginga.

Ginga scoffed. "You are going to make me have your child, and then abandoned me? Well, I wouldn't want to marry a dead-beat dad like you anyway then!"

I looked at Fate. "Hmmm, they actually fight liked they've been married for a really long time," I remarked to her.

Hayate pulled out the large brown book that she had gotten from the library earlier from her backpack. "I'm going to read now. Don't interrupt me Ginga," she said playfully, poking her finger at Ginga's cheek.

"I thought you were going to wait until the meeting to look at it?" I asked.

Hayate shrugged. "I can't help it. I need to know what is going on. It's driving me crazy."

"_Ginga! Ginga!_" we suddenly heard yelling from behind us in the courtyard.

"Mom?!" Ginga exclaimed as we all turned around.

Quint came walking quickly towards us, and I noticed some papers and envelopes in her hands. "Ginga... Nanoha... I have... DNA results," she said through winded gasps.

We all sat up straighter. "Wait, for Vivio and Einhart?!" I asked.

Quint nodded. "Precia pulled some strings yesterday and got the equipment we needed. We just had to trade some vehicles for it, is all."

"Raising Heart?" I asked sadly.

"No, no!" Quint replied. "That is yours, sweetie! We did have to give them the Ferrari though," she added, winking at me out of Fate's line of vision.

Fate paled a little for few seconds, but then seemed to recover. "It's okay, if it's for Vivio," Fate said sincerely.

I felt tears come to my eyes as I placed my hand over my mouth and stared at her. "You just earned so many brownie points right now, Fate-chan," I told her.

"The Ferrari's fine! And the Aston Martin too, before you ask," Quint said to her daughter. Ginga seemed to breath a sigh of relief.

"So, DNA results?" Hayate interrupted.

"Oh right," Quint replied, now dropping to one knee in front of us. She held up the piece of paper in front of her and began reading.

"Okay, so Nanoha and Ginga," she began. "It is a 99 percent DNA match that you are, in fact, the biological mothers of Vivio and Einhart."

The four of us stared at Quint silently for quite a while, in complete shock at her announcement. She stared back, patiently waiting for us to recover from the news.

"I would have been like two years old when I gave birth to her, Quint!" I finally exclaimed. "I mean, it _felt_ like she was my daughter, but now that it's confirmed..." I trailed off, not even knowing how to finish the sentence.

"It gets better," Quint said, pulling out two envelopes next. "Paternity results."

"Is this a joke?!" Hayate asked Quint loudly.

"Nope, no joke," Quint shook her head before opening the first envelope."Okay, when it comes to Ginga's daughter, Einhart... Hayate - -you ARE the father!" she announced.

Hayate dropped her fork on the ground, utterly speechless. She then began to sway a little, and I stood up to help steady her.

"That doesn't... How could I...?" Hayate finally tried, before eventually failing and putting her hand to her chin as she stared at the ground silently.

"Next!" Quint said. Fate quickly perked her head up, her eyes open wide. "When it comes to Nanoha's daughter, Vivio... Fate - - you ARE the father!"

Fate raised her eyebrows, before smiling a little and nodding. "Yep, Superman..." she confirmed to herself quietly.

Ginga smiled at her mother. "I knew I would regret watching _The Maury Show_ with you all those years."

"How come you acted like you didn't know the results?" Fate asked Quint. "Didn't you make the envelopes?"

"No," she responded. "I had Precia make the envelopes, so that I could be surprised too."

"But still, with conducting the tests didn't you already know the - ?" Ginga began.

"Okay, unless I missed something somewhere, these two could not have gotten us pregnant!" I interrupted, pointing at Fate and Hayate.

"That is true, Nanoha," Quint agreed. "Thankfully everyone's DNA had been previously mapped out extensively before this, so we only had to compare the findings from the girls' DNA results. The difference was between the XY versus XX chromosomes in the sequences."

"Male DNA?" Ginga asked.

"Alright, this is too much! I'm out of here!" Hayate suddenly announced, standing up and trying to walk away from the group. I grabbed her by the arms and sat her back down.

"Okay, so what does it all mean exactly?" I asked Quint.

Quint paused, and then shrugged in response. "Beats us!" she replied simply.

We all narrowed our eyes at her. "That's not good enough, Mom!" Ginga shouted.

"Well, what do you want me to say?!" she yelled back. "The science doesn't lie, but it also doesn't make a lot of sense either!"

"_Ahem!_" we suddenly heard come from behind us.

"Ohhh, you're in trouble now Quint," Fate mocked without turning around.

"Lindy! Hey, I was just giving the girls the DNA results!" Quint said, holding the papers in her hand.

"Did you check in with the front office, Quint?" Lindy responded coolly.

"Front... office? Well, no. I didn't know I... had to?" she replied.

Lindy turned on her heel. "Front office, let's go," she said over her shoulder.

"It's kind of her thing," Fate informed Quint, as she stood up and started collecting her papers.

Quint eventually caught up with Lindy. "Come on! We're almost like family now! Do I really need to sign in?" we heard Quint say to her.

"Rules are rules," Lindy responded, as their voices grew more distant from our group.

"Wait until you hear these results though..." Quint said after, before we stopped being able to hear them completely.

We all turned back to face each other, and then stared at the ground as we started eating our lunches again in silence. I observed Hayate pick up the brown book from the library calmly and begin flipping through the pages.

"What are you looking for?" I eventually asked her.

"I have no idea," she replied honestly. "I just know what I saw last week, is all."

Ginga and Fate looked at each other confused, as if asking each other silently if they knew what we were talking about.

"What's going on?" Fate asked me.

"You would have to have Hayate explain it to you, honestly," I replied, not fully comprehending what she was doing myself.

Hayate continued to flip through the pages individually without responding, seeming to be concentrating fully on the book. Eventually, I saw her stop turning the pages, and she looked closer at a new story she had just come across.

"This is it..." she said quietly, pointing at the title of the story she had just discovered. I looked over her shoulder and read the title aloud.

"_Romeo and Juliet_?" I read. "I thought you said it only had one line before? That story looks complete?"

Hayate picked up a group of pages and started flipping past them with her thumb, and she eventually found the end of the story, which butted up to another one.

"It is complete _now_, apparently," she commented.

Before we could discuss it any further, the school bell rang above us, signaling the end of lunch. We all groaned, and Hayate closed the book and put it back into her bag.

"This isn't over," she warned the book before she zipped up her backpack.

"Honestly, I don't know if I could take any other weird information at the moment," I told her. "I could probably use the break."

Fate grabbed my hand as we began to walk back towards our classrooms. Hayate and Ginga fell behind us, and I heard Hayate discussing the book with Ginga and what she was looking for in it.

"What do you think, Nanoha? About Vivio?" Fate asked me.

"Well, I couldn't ask for a better person to be the other parent with her, for starters," I told Fate, and she smiled at my comment. "But... it really makes no sense whatsoever."

Fate nodded. "Yeah, that's true. I'm not concerned about me being the father or whatever, honestly. I just don't understand the timing of it. Her age versus ours, I mean."

"I couldn't have just yanked her out of my dream... right?" I asked disbelievingly.

"Well, can you dream about a boy the next time then?" Fate teased. "I've always wanted a son."

"Hey, you can have children too!" I responded as I bumped her on the shoulder. "_You_ have the dream next time, and pull him out yourself!"

"You have cute kids though," she told me. "We can't trust that I would have as good looking of a kid as you."

"I don't think that would be a problem," I responded honestly.

Fate suddenly looked around at the courtyard path. "Hey, isn't it funny that exactly one week ago, I proposed to you right here at this spot?"

"Yep! So since then we _did_ get married, we planned a gold heist, my family's company was completely ruined, and now we have a daughter almost the same age as us," I replied.

Fate shrugged. "We all have our slow weeks," she responded non-nonchalantly. I narrowed my eyes at her, and she simply kissed me on the cheek as we continued on our way to our classrooms.

**oOOOo**

"Hey Hayate, you weren't in gym class last perio – oh, holy hell!" I began, before seeing Hayate's troubled face as I entered into the clubroom with Fate after school. She was leaning forward on the couch, staring straight ahead with the brown book open on the table in front of her. She looked distraught, and her face was pale and showed concern.

"I ditched last period," she responded, although she didn't look up at us when she spoke. "I told Signum I was sick so I could read that story."

"It must have really gotten to you then?" I mentioned, as Fate and I sat on the loveseat next to the couch.

Hayate passed us photocopies of what appeared to be the story. "I made a copy for everyone, but you two might as well start reading now. It's mostly about you guys anyway."

"What are you talking about, Hayate?" I asked, as I looked down at the papers.

"I'm not going to say anything else, just in case I'm reading too much into it or something," she replied.

I frowned at her for a moment, and then turned my attention to the story. Fate did the same, and we both read the story for about ten minutes before I stopped.

"What the hell is this?!" I asked Hayate, now feeling a little anxious.

Fate set her papers down for a moment as well. "It's certainly all of us, just set in a different time period. And, some of us are men."

"Are we sure this isn't just some sort of coincidence?" I ventured.

Hayate waved her hand. "I would pass it off as that, if I didn't see what this... _book_ was capable of doing firsthand myself."

"But... reincarnation? I don't know..." I muttered.

Teana, Subaru, and Ginga cheerfully entered into the clubroom as we were talking. "Hey guys, sorry we're late! Ginga was filling us in on the DNA results," Teana said.

"Your thoughts?" I asked her, hoping the genius in her could come up with a solution.

"Not a clue," Teana responded while shaking her head.

"Hey, what are these?" Subaru asked as she sat down on the couch next to Hayate, picking up a set of the photocopies.

"You guys should read this story and tell us what you think," I suggested.

"Is this the story you were talking about at lunch?" Ginga asked Hayate.

Hayate nodded. "Nanoha and Fate agreed with what I thought, but you should come to your own conclusions."

The three nodded as they began reading the story as well. Fate and I continued from where we had left off, and Hayate started rereading the story from the book. After a few minutes, I saw Teana quickly flipping through the pages and start skimming over certain sections of the story.

She then looked up Hayate with a shocked look on her face. "You and Ginga were gay male lovers?!" she cried.

I bit my lips to keep from laughing, having just come across that section of the story myself.

"You focused on _that_ part?!" Hayate responded, blushing furiously.

"I'm just impressed that Nanoha could ride the horse up the stairs backwards for so long," Subaru added.

"Okay, maybe our story didn't translate that well into that time period..." Hayate conceded as we all laughed loudly.

"Aw, look Fate-chan!" I said as I pointed to the final line of the story. "_And they lived happily ever after,_" I read to her after the marriage scene.

"But we're still going, right?" Ginga asked with a confused scowl on her face.

"Yeah, this doesn't talk about Vivio and Einhart's arrival a few days afterward, does it?" I commented.

"Maybe they are the start of a new story then?" Teana ventured.

Hayate stared at Teana for a moment, stunned. "Seriously, I should just come to you first when I can't figure something out," she finally told her.

"What do you mean?" Teana asked in return.

Hayate flipped past a few stories after _Romeo and Juliet_, finding the one that she and I had seen earlier, with only the title and one line written.

"_Joan and Charles saw each other from across the room,_" Teana read aloud. She then looked down at her photocopies. "Hmmm, same first line but different names..." she noted.

"Vivio and Einhart, then? But Einhart's a girl?" Subaru stated.

"So am I, but then I was Romeo. And some of you were men in our story too," Fate argued.

Ginga suddenly put her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide. "Oh my god...!" she cried.

"What? What is it?" we all asked.

"Einhart. In my dreams. She was a male, and a little older than what she is now," she replied, her face still showing shock. "I just... somehow knew it was her when she showed up here though. It's hard to explain."

I concentrated, closing my eyes as I remembered my dreams. "Vivio was the same though, I'm sure of it," I finally concluded.

"Well, I was a different age in this story," Subaru mentioned, pointing down to the photocopies. "An older woman, it seems."

"Didn't you say that Vivio was almost killed in your dream, Nanoha?" Fate remembered suddenly.

"Yeah, before... I..." I trailed off and looked over at Ginga in a panic. She was looking up at me in return with the same expression.

"I saved Einhart, too..." she finally was able to confirm.

"But... that's impossible?" I said weakly.

"Usually, you would think so," Hayate commented. "But, here they are today."

Teana began to flip through the pages of the book. "So, you guys stopped them from being killed in your dream, right?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied. "Vivio was almost stabbed with a sword, but I pulled her out of the way in time before it hit her."

"A sword, huh?" Teana mused distractedly, now looking through the stories carefully. I was about to tell Teana more of my dreams, but Fate tapped my arm and shook her head at me.

"She'll figure it out. Just give her a minute," she assured me quietly.

"What if...?" Teana began after a few moments. "What if you two hadn't gotten married last week?" she then asked us directly.

Fate threw her hands up in the air. "See, Nanoha?! I knew we should have gone with the double suicide!"

Hayate raised her head up quickly. "What?!" she exclaimed, her face filled with horror.

I frowned at Fate. "It's a terrible joke Fate-chan made a few days ago, when I asked her if we had any other choice but marriage."

Teana smiled. "Yes, but... it probably came from somewhere, actually."

Teana then turned the book around to Hayate. "Did you notice the timelines on these other stories around _Romeo and Juliet_ and _Joan of Arc_?" she asked her.

Hayate frowned. "No..." she replied slowly.

"Well if you look here, the Romeo and Juliet story starts on a 1303 and ends many years later. Then the next story starts the following year, and ends here. But," she then pointed to the _Joan of Arc_ story, "this new, unfinished story starts in 1403. So, this timeline is conflicting with these other two stories."

"I am SO confused," Subaru cut in.

"Basically, I think Fate and Nanoha were supposed to die in this story," Teana stated, pointing to the _Romeo and Juliet _photocopies. "And when they didn't, it messed up the following stories pretty bad."

"I'm still confused on what that has to do with Vivio and Einhart?" Subaru continued. We all nodded that we were also lost completely.

Teana took a deep breath. "The timelines of everything else got screwed up when Nanoha and Fate didn't die, and _whatever_ controls all of this tried to destroy this original _Joan of Arc_ timeline, with Vivio and Einhart in it. They aren't supposed to be alive right now."

I slammed my hands to the table as I stood up. "What the hell?! They tried to KILL her?" I shouted, thinking about Vivio's frightened face right before she almost died.

"Nanoha, calm down," Fate said from behind me, placing her hand on my back. I sat back down next to her, and put my face in my hands.

"I'm sorry," I responded. "It's like maternal instinct or something."

"That's probably why they are alive right now, actually," Hayate mentioned.

"What do you mean?" Ginga asked.

"Well, I imagine you, as mothers, _sensed_ that your children were about to be killed. So... you intervened," she continued.

"Through a dream though?" Ginga pressed, unbelieving.

"Fate and I have visited past lives in our dreams," I finally disclosed to everyone.

Teana narrowed her eyes at me. "That might have been useful information a while back," she scolded.

"Sorry! I didn't quite understand all of it until just now. I thought they were just dreams, honestly," I replied.

"So, were Nanoha and Ginga their mothers in this _Joan of Arc_ timeline too?" Subaru asked. "And Fate and Hayate were their... fathers?"

"We would have had to have been, for the DNA tests to come out the way it did," I responded.

"Why don't the girls remember anything from their time, though?" Fate then pondered.

Teana looked down at the book again. "I think it's because their original story was destroyed. But when they were saved by their moms and met, a new one had to start." She pointed again to the _Joan of Arc_ story.

"Wouldn't they just pop up in other past lives like us, though?" Ginga asked.

Teana shrugged. "Maybe this was the first time they were born? And without this timeline they would never have existed at all?"

"So they can just stay and live with us here instead, right?" I said hopefully.

Teana shook her head. "I don't think it works like that. It seems like their new story is paused while they are here. They will probably have to go back to finish it."

"No! They are _not_ going back," I stated firmly. Ginga nodded her head, matching my resolve.

"I think we all feel the same way," Hayate stated. Fate and Subaru nodded in agreement, but Teana looked reluctant.

"What?" I asked her.

"I want them to stay also, of course," she replied "I love them already, like my sisters. But there could be consequences with messing with the past, you know?"

"Then we will deal with them," I concluded. "But I'm not letting Vivio go back there just to be killed."

"Me, neither," Ginga agreed about Einhart.

"We should probably have a plan B though, Nanoha," Fate then proposed.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Fate leaned forward on the loveseat. "Well, we can't exactly control if and when they go back. But we could help them while they are here, to give them the best shot if that were to happen?"

"What are you suggesting?" Hayate asked.

"We can teach them how to defend themselves, for one thing," Fate suggested.

Ginga nodded. "That's true! And to fight as best as possible with the weapons of their time."

"But how much do we tell them?" I asked, thinking of Vivio's sensitive responses to certain things.

"We should probably tell them everything," Fate suggested. "If they are going to have the best chance at succeeding."

"How do we know their timeline just won't be destroyed the second they get back, though?" I asked, now feeling a little desperate.

"We don't," Fate replied. "All we can do is try to help them survive as best as we can. And keep them from going back to that timeline for as long as possible."

"Okay then," Hayate said. "Let's come up with some ideas to help them out, and then we will go talk to the girls."

* * *

**A/N:** If any one has any questions about the explanation of the timelines, feel free to ask in a review and I'll try to clear it up in the next author's notes (as long as it doesn't spoil anything). Well, until then! ~Nissanity~


	23. Chapter 23 - Up a Creek

**A/N: **First to** Haruko Kakikomi**, sorry it being unclear about the ages! In the current timeline, Vivio is 15 and Einhart is 16. In the past timeline, Vivio/Joan is 15, and Einhart/Charles is 24. It's important that they tried to kill Joan off before she turned 16. That's when she met Charles, who is the person who helped her fulfill her destiny in real life. To everyone else, sorry for any confusion last chapter. As long as everyone is cool with the notion that Vivio and Einhart were at risk of being killed off forever, and everyone is now trying to keep that from happening, then we can continue on with the NanoFate goodness :D

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 23 – ****__****Up a Creek**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

"Did you guys tell Vivio where she came from yet?" Teana asked.

"No," I replied. "Ginga and Hayate were going to tell Einhart first last night, since she seems more receptive and level-headed. Hopefully she can help us break the news to Vivio."

Fate and I had made it to the clubroom after school the next day, finding Teana and Subaru huddled over the brown book in the middle of the table. Hayate and Ginga were in the corner, inevitably lost in conversation about their daughter, I was sure.

"Well, Subaru and I have come up with a Plan C we think," Teana said, loud enough for Hayate and Ginga to hear across the room. They immediately stopped talking and joined the rest of us when they heard Teana's announcement.

"Please tell me it's not something crazy?" Hayate said as she sat down on the couch, crossing her arms and legs in front of her.

"Nope, it's pretty crazy. Sorry," Teana responded. "Do we ever do any easy around here, though?"

I leaned my chin into my hand. "So, what is it that we would have to do this time?" I asked.

"I was thinking last night about how the girls don't show up in any other timelines, right?" Teana began, and then pointed down to the book. "But what if you guys forced them to be born in other time periods too?"

"How the hell would we do that?" Ginga asked as she frowned a little.

"Well, apparently you guys can go back in time in your dreams, so..." she trailed off.

"Are you proposing what I think you're proposing?" Hayate asked loudly, and I watched her body tense even more than before.

"I'm still lost," Fate said.

Teana sighed. "You would need to visit the other time periods, and conceive Vivio and Einhart in them as well."

My eyes shot open. "Come again?!" I shouted.

"Um..." Teana replied with a blush as she looked down at the floor beside her, and I realized the double entendre I had inadvertently made. "S-So, Subaru and I picked out some stories that - "

Fate quickly grabbed the book and pulled it across the table towards her. "Which ones?" she asked eagerly.

I closed the book in front of her, and she pouted her lips for a moment. "There's only one problem though. We usually can't control our actions in our dreams," I mentioned to Teana.

Subaru's face got a little bit brighter. "I actually came up with something this time," she stated. "I saw it on TV once."

I glanced nervously at three girls beside me. They all were staring at Subaru skeptically as she pulled out a silver pocket watch from her jacket, and let it dangle by it's chain in the air.

"Hypnosis," Teana announced. "We will subliminally give you guys a trigger, so that when it happens in the past you will want to... well, you know..." She then trailed off, blushing again.

"You are going to implant something in our brains, which will make us want to sex with each other when we are prompted to in another time period?!" Hayate asked, her voice even more heated. "I just want to make sure I understand this insane idea _perfectly_ before I say no."

I looked over to Fate. "Well, I'm game," I said with a shrug to her.

"Yep, me too," she replied nonchalantly.

"Yeah, but you guys are like little bunnies when it comes to that!" Ginga said to us. Hayate was staring at me with an unbelieving looking, most likely at my willingness to easily go along with a stunt like that when it involved that subject.

"How did you guys go back in time before, by the way?" Subaru asked me.

"One of us would read a story or book," I replied. "And when we went to sleep that night, we would just relive that previous life."

"Well, that's simple enough," Teana replied. "We found a story we think matches up with this concept then, if you are willing?"

Teana reopened to book in front of Fate and I, and searched through the previously earmarked pages before she came to the biography she wanted. "Here," she pointed.

"Hmmm, Pocahontas?" I read.

"Yep," Teana replied. "If I guessed this correctly you, Nanoha, are Pocahontas. And Fate is John Smith. In real life they didn't get together romantically, but if they did... maybe Vivio would have been born?"

"What about us? And Einhart?" Ginga asked.

"There are some other people here mentioned that you and Hayate might have been. Honestly, you would have to go back with them and see who you ended up being." Teana then reached over and grabbed the pocket watch from Subaru.

"I thought you said that messing around with the past was a bad idea?" Hayate reminded her.

Teana looked up at the pocket watch as she dangled it in front of her, before she started moving it back and forth like a pendulum.

"I don't think there is anyone in this room who wouldn't do everything in their power to make sure the girls were given a chance to exist," she replied, albeit distractedly.

I watched Hayate brace herself a little at Teana's words. After she paused for a moment, she turned to look over at Ginga. She met her eyes, and the two of them seemed to come to a silent agreement that they would indeed try to give their daughter as many chances as possible to live.

"So what will the trigger be?" Fate asked.

"It's simple. When you stare into each others eyes, you will want to have sex with each other," Teana responded.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Ginga interrupted. "What if Fate ends up looking into my eyes by mistake or something?"

I slammed my fist on the table and stood up in anger. "Fate-chan isn't going to be looking into your eyes, Ginga!" I yelled at her.

"Oh my god, Nanoha! Calm down!" Hayate said, standing up and pushing me back to sit on the couch again.

I continued to seethe a little bit at the notion, before I glanced over at Fate to get angry at her too. She was grinning back at me, amused with my childish antics I was sure. I leaned against her instead so that she could tend to my hurt feelings, and she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head in response.

"Can you also implant the idea in Nanoha that she can't kill me in a fit of jealousy, please?" Ginga asked, pointing over to me.

"I'll do my best," Teana replied. "Now lean back and relax everyone. You are getting very sleepy..."

"Well that's a bit cliché, isn't - ?" I started, before I looked over and noticed Fate was already asleep and snoring a little on the loveseat.

"Oh, come on!" Hayate then shouted as she noticed that Ginga had already succumbed to the hypnosis as well.

Teana frowned. "Man, they were supposed to have been trained to fight hypnosis a lot better than that."

"Jeez, let's just get this over with," Hayate said in frustration, and she leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes.

I took Fate's hand into mine as I leaned back against the loveseat, looking lovingly over at her sleeping face. "Fate-chan... If you look into Ginga's eyes instead of mine, we are _never_ having sex again."

I watched Fate frown and her eyebrows twitch in concern at the warning her subconscious had just received. Satisfied that I got my point across, I smiled and closed my eyes, falling into a trance as well a few moments later.

**oOOOo**

"Ugh, Fate-chan, I hate the fact that we can't spend more time with Vivio!" I said as I crossed my arms across my chest later that night.

Fate sighed next to me in bed. "I know, Nanoha. But it's important that she spends all the time she can getting to know Einhart now, though."

I continued to pout. "And to play Teana's video games," I mumbled.

Fate sat up and rubbed my shoulders patiently to try to comfort me. "You know Teana picked out specific games that would help them learn about weapons of that time era. And Signum is starting an exercise regimen for them tomorrow at Quint's house."

I turned my head to her in surprise. "How much does Signum know? I thought we weren't going to tell her anything?"

"Well, Shamal knows everything," Fate replied. "I think Hayate tried to tell Signum, but it kind of went over her head from what I heard."

"Hmmm," I merely replied, lost in thought about my strained relationship with Signum at the moment. I decided to go ahead and read the biography of Pocahontas instead, as a distraction from my current family problems.

"So we really are trying tonight then?" Fate asked as she watched me flip through the pages, searching for the section in question.

"Yes. I figure we should do this sooner rather than later," I replied. I stopped when I found the part I was looking for in the book.

Fate scooted closer to me in the bed, placing her hand on my thigh and kissing my neck a little. I glanced over at her after a moment, as her hand began to rub along my pajama bottoms.

"What are you doing?" I asked her with a laugh.

"I'm getting you in the mood, of course," she replied, nibbling on my ear a little.

"Um, I'm not sure that's how this works?" I informed her, glancing back down to the book.

Fate hummed sensually next to my ear, and then continued to kiss my neck gently. I did my best not to let her know she was succeeding in her quest to turn me on, although my accelerated breathing finally gave it away.

"No, I'm pretty sure this works..." she said playfully. I turned and kissed her deeply for a few moments before I pulled away for her.

"You will have plenty of time for that later, in your sleep," I told her. "You should conserve your energy now."

Fate pretended to sulk at my response, and then turned her attention to the book on my lap. "Should we read this together, you think?" she asked.

"It wouldn't hurt, I imagine," I responded.

"Oh, here by the way," she said suddenly. I observed her lean over to the nightstand and pick up a couple pills and a glass of water. She handed them to me as I looked at them skeptically.

"Fertility pills?" I asked.

"No!" she replied. "Sleeping pills. I took some already. It wouldn't be good if we couldn't actually fall asleep, you know?"

I leaned over and kissed her again quickly. "I'm so glad you think of these things," I told her. I continued to study her beautiful burgundy eyes, feeling myself starting to get lost in them. The familiar sensation of physical desire for my wife crept over me.

"I guess the hypnosis thing really did work, huh?" I mentioned softly. I quickly took the pills with the water and set the glass back on the nightstand. I held up my hand for a moment towards Fate as I read a paragraph of Pocahontas' biography dealing with John Smith. I then closed the book and tossed it on the floor.

"We have to make this quick, before the pills kick in," I informed her as I pushed her down against the bed.

Fate smiled as she leaned back against her pillow and I straddled her waist. I bent over to kiss her passionately as I felt her hands begin to rub along my thighs and waist. It wasn't long before our cries and moans filled the room, both of us taking turns bringing each other to the peaks of ecstasy several times. I curled up next to Fate afterward, with the mixture of pills and pleasure lulling me into a deep sleep almost immediately.

**oOOOo**

_~Viginia, 1607~_

"Nanoha, where are you?!" Ginga cried from the canoe below me.

"Up here!" I yelled from the cliffside as I looked down at the sparkling blue river below me. I had observed Ginga paddle the canoe to the area a few moments prior, stopping in the middle of the river where a small lake was formed. She was familiar with the area, as she and I spent most of our time in the summers there, cooling down from the unbearable heat of the sun beating down on us.

I gauged where the rock formations were underneath the water, making sure I was going to land in a safe spot before I jumped.

"What are you doing?" she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Hayate just told me that the intruders where coming close to the village. We have to get back!"

I narrowed my eyes at the thought of the people who had recently come to the land to claim it as their own. Our tribe had lost quite a few men at the hands of the invaders, who were only trying to save what meager agriculture fields we had for our village from being overtaken by them.

"I'll be right down!" I told her, running away from the cliff momentarily. I then sprinted as I ran back to the edge of the cliff, jumping as far as I could towards the lake below. I watched Ginga hurriedly paddle the canoe out of the way from where I would be landing in the water.

"You're nuts!" she yelled at me right before I dove in, narrowly missing a rock formation. I pushed off the lake floor to propel myself upwards towards the surface near the canoe. Before I crossed the plain of water, I observed Ginga looking down at me over the edge of the canoe.

"Look out!" I said, splashing water up at her as I surfaced. She put her hands up in front of her and leaned back, narrowly missing the wave I had flung towards her. She then put her hand on top of my head and dunked me under the water for a few seconds, before letting my head go after I started thrashing.

I coughed as I resurfaced quickly. "What would my father say if he knew you tried to kill me?" I said as I gasped for breath. I beginning to pull myself into the canoe next to her after.

"He would get mad at you for not defending yourself better," she joked, although there was more truth to her words than not. As she started paddling the canoe away, we heard a yell come from above the waterfall.

"_I'll be over here!_" we heard a raspy voice say loudly from above. I gripped my hands on the canoe edge as Ginga began to paddle us faster away from the area.

"Wait!" I said, and I stood up in the canoe to try get a better look. Ginga steadied the raft as it rocked back and forth beneath me.

"Let's just go tell Hayate that they made it to the waterfall. The warriors will know what to do!" she requested.

I shook my head, still searching for the voice. "You go! I'll stay here and try to find out where they are. I'll keep an eye on them."

Ginga began to turn around nervously. "No way! They would probably kill you if they discovered you out here."

"I have faith that they won't," I told her. "Just go!"

Before Ginga could protest further, I dove back into the water and was swimming towards the riverbank silently. She knew best not to yell across the water at me, so she reluctantly started paddling back in the direction of our village, to tell Hayate of the news.

I entered onto the bank of the river, pressing my back against the wall as I began the journey back to the waterfall. I was scanning in all the directions I could see, not finding the origin of the voice from earlier anywhere.

I made it to the edge of the cliffbase, finding a hiding spot just in time before a blond-haired intruder appeared. She was walking along the path leading from the side of the cliff to the base of the waterfall. I leaned around the wall I was hiding behind to get a better look, and felt my breath catch in my chest as I realized she was actually quite beautiful. I could see her clear burgundy eyes sparkling, even from my distance, as she took in the sights of the waterfall all around her.

I turned to press my back against the wall I was hiding behind, biting my lower lip as I thought about how enchanting the woman seemed to be in just the few seconds I had caught glimpse of her. I gathered my courage and decided to peek around the wall again for another site of her.

As my eyes returned their vision to where the woman had been standing, I realized that she had disappeared completely. I glanced all around the area of the waterfall, not seeing the direction she had headed in.

Disappointed, I removed myself from the wall and began to journey to the path that the blond had taken a few moments prior. The path lead to exposed rocks in the river that created a path across. I stood on the river bank, looking again to see if she had perhaps crossed the rocks to the other side. Before I could take a step onto the first rock in the river though, I felt a pair of arms grab me from behind.

"Gotcha!" a voice yelled as someone forcefully tried to hold my arms in place against my body. I didn't recognize the language, but I knew the immediate danger I was in.

I quickly stomped the heel of my foot onto theirs, and the pain caused the person behind me to scream and loosen their grips around my upper arms. I sent an elbow into their solar plexus next, causing them to fall to their knees behind me. I turned around, and was ready to punch the person across the face, when I realized it was the blond I had seen moments earlier.

I bent down next her and placed a hand on her shoulder as she tried to recover her breath, and after a few minutes, it seemed she was breathing normally again. She then began laughing to herself. "Man, I was not expecting that!" she said in a foreign language.

I shook my head in confusion at the words I didn't understand as she glanced up at me. She stood up completely, bending over to retrieve an iron helmet that was laying on the ground beside her feet.

"What's your name?" she asked. I watched her gingerly put weight back down on the foot I had stomped on.

I shook my head again. She sighed, but it seemed as if she had finally really looked at me for the first time since our encounter. I saw her features become confused as she studied my face closely.

"Fate," she finally said, placing her hand against her chest to signify that was her name. She moved her hand to rest on the center of my chest next.

"Nanoha," I responded, looking down at her hand as it rested against my bare skin. She seemed to suddenly realize her action, and I watched her pull her hand away, bringing it back down to her side.

I returned my gaze to her face, and our eyes immediately locked onto each others. I felt a sensation wash over me unlike any I had ever experienced before. I stared into her burgundy eyes intently, and my breathing suddenly became shallow and ragged. I observed a visible change in Fate as well, her breathing increasing as she looked almost panicked as she stared at me.

"Um..." she said, breaking her vision away from me. "So... you from around here?" she said, as she scratched the back of her head shyly, her face a deep shade of red all the way to the tips of her ears.

"I don't understand..." I responded in my own native tongue, referring to both her foreign words and the physical reaction I was having at the moment.

She paused and looked at me again, this time keeping her eyes trained on mine. Unable to suppress my desire for her any longer, I ran the few steps towards her and clenched her shirt, pulling her lips down onto mine. She immediately responded, placing her hands under my thighs and motioning upwards. I jumped up at her guidance, wrapping my legs around her waist as she slammed me into the nearest wall. We kissed passionately as she ran her hands along my body frantically.

I was just beginning to unbutton her shirt when I heard the deafening sound of my tribe's war cry from behind us, and Fate turned around to see the entire fleet of warriors heading in our direction. I dismounted from her hips, and began to try to push her down the path so that she could run away.

"You are in so much trouble!" I tried to tell her, but she seemed paralyzed at the sight of so many armed men coming towards her angrily. They eventually caught up with us, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her away from me.

I noticed Hayate in a canoe that was approaching the riverbank, standing up with her arms crossed at the front of it. It was being steered by Ginga, who was seated behind her. Ginga had a look of shock and disbelief on her face, having found me in such a compromising position. Hayate looked furious as she exited the canoe and walked towards Fate.

"You can take a lot of things from us," Hayate began, staring at Fate, "but Nanoha's purity is not one of them. Men! Bring me my club!" She held her arm out to the side, palm up, and her wooden staff with a large stone attached was placed in it.

I watched in horror as the warriors maneuvered Fate to the ground and placed her head on a flat stone in front of all of us. Fate tried to give me one last smile before Hayate reared the staff up over her head. She was just about to bring the club down against Fate's head when - -

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

"Ah, Hayate! What the f*ck!" I heard screamed suddenly, waking me from the dream in an instant.

I sat up in bed to find Fate checking her head frantically next to me, making sure her skull was still intact. Once she realized she was uninjured, she fell back against her pillow, her breathing rapid and shallow as she stared up at the ceiling.

"That... did not go well!" I finally said, putting my face into my hands and trying to calm down. I heard my cellphone ring from the nightstand a few second later.

"Hey, Hayate," I said without even looking at the caller ID.

"God, can you tell Fate I'm sorry?!" I heard her say frantically into the receiver.

"_I wouldn't have went to get her if I had known she was going to do that!_" Ginga's voice called out from a distance through the earpiece.

"We'll come up with another story tomorrow, okay?" I tried to reassure Hayate as best as I could.

"We will find something a little less violent, right?" she suggested. I agreed, and then hung up the phone and placed my cellphone on the nightstand again.

I turned my attention back to Fate, who had calmed down considerably during my conversation on the phone. I laid down next to her in the bed, leaning my body against hers.

"She apologized for trying to bludgeon you to death," I informed her.

"That's a start," she replied, smiling a little. "Hey, Nanoha? What did I look like, by the way? Male or female?" she then asked me.

"Hmmm," I replied. "It's hard to explain. You just... looked like Fate-chan." We both paused, now fully recounting our experience in the other timeline.

"We should get some rest," she finally mentioned as she yawned next to me, her eyelids drooping a little.

"Oh, you didn't want to finish what we started in the dream?" I teased.

Fate shook her head. "That would be the most disturbing version of foreplay ever. I think I need to recover first."

"Ah, Superman has finally found her Kryptonite it seems," I replied.

"Yep. But tomorrow... I'm back at full strength," she told me, starting to become even more drowsy as she spoke.

I closed my eyes as well. "Okay, but don't forget. I'm taking Vivio to meet my mother tomorrow after school."

"Okay... I'll... plan accordingly..." was the last semi-coherent thing Fate told me, before she drifted off to sleep again.

I sighed as I thought about the meeting that was scheduled to occur tomorrow. My mother had asked me earlier in the evening via text message if we could meet up at a place called the Midoriya Cafe the following day. I hadn't seen her since the night I had been married, and I hoped that the news would go over okay with her. I figured it was a best of time as any for her to meet Vivio, although explaining the sudden appearance of her grandchild would be quite the feat.

I drifted off to sleep before I could contemplate the complex situation further, and any other dreams eluded me for the rest of the evening.

**oOOOo**

"I want you to be on your best behavior, okay Vivio?" I requested as she and I walked up the city sidewalk. I spotted the cafe where we were meeting my mom at up ahead.

Vivio turned and glared at me. "I'm always on my best behavior!" she claimed.

I frowned at her. "Why did Quint say you got angry and threw the controller against the wall then yesterday?"

My daughter huffed. "It's not my fault it cheated..." she mumbled, looking down at the ground.

"Okay, but remember - - Don't call her grandma right away, okay? Let me try to explain things as best as I can before you put that out there."

"Alright," she responded. "Is grandma nice in this time period, too?" she then asked. I was a little surprised to hear Vivio mention that she knew about the timeline theory, but I wasn't about to press her at the moment to see how she felt about it.

"Yes, my mother is very nice. I think you will like her very much when you meet her here." I pushed open the front door of the cafe once we reached it. Vivio and I stopped in the front entrance way and looked around, noticing that the cafe was currently being remodeled. My mother was standing in the middle of it, seeming to be directing the construction workers and painters around her.

"Mom?" I ventured. My mother turned back quickly, startled but also smiling when she recognized it was me. She then turned her attention to Vivio, and I saw her face drop a little in surprise.

"Hi, Mom," I began again. She walked towards us, her eyes shifting back and forth between the two of us.

"Hello, Nanoha," she said, before throwing her arms around me and pulling me close into her. "We've missed you so much," she said sincerely.

"You too, Mom," I replied, attempting not to cry. As she pulled away from me, she focused on Vivio, who was silently staring at her with her eyes wide open.

"Mom, this is Vivio," I said, putting my arm around her shoulder. My mother nodded, putting her hands under her cheeks to inspect Vivio's face closer. She then shook her head and placed a hand on her hip, feigning an look of disappointment as she glared at me.

"So... how long were you going to keep my granddaughter from me, Nanoha?" she asked.

* * *

**A/N:** Per **yurifans21** suggestion, I am using this note to promote my new M-rated story I am also writing that currently has three (3) chapters completed so far. It is called _The Sabers of Il Santi_, and you can find a link to it in my profile. It's a lot of fun, with Fate and Nanoha being angels who take on demons with everyone. Some violence, some sex... The works, really heh. I hope to see everyone over at that story as well! ~Nissanity~


	24. Chapter 24 - Bygones Be Bygones

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.

* * *

******PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT**

by : ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 24 – ****__****Bygones Be Bygones**

* * *

******Nanoha POV**

"Granddaughter?" I stammered. "How did you - ?"

My mother smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "I'm kidding, Nanoha! Don't be silly."

I glanced to Vivio quickly. She had a perplexed look on her face, and I knew that my face probably mirrored hers. We both simultaneously turned back to face my mother, completely dumbfounded.

"Heterochromia runs in our family. It's a recessive gene. Your great grandmother was the last one in our family to have it. I just thought I would make a funny about it," my mother replied.

I giggled nervously as Vivio let out a loud sigh, although it didn't sound like one of relief exactly. She then pursed her lips at me in frustration, which was an expression of hers I had already grown accustomed to in our short time spent together.

"So, what are we doing here Mom?" I asked, changing the subject. "This place isn't open?"

My mother gestured to the booth nearest us, and Vivio and I sat in the bench seat across from her. My mother clasped her hands and placed them on the table in front of her, her face now a bit more serious than before.

"Nanoha, as you can imagine it hasn't been easy since what happened..." she began.

I dropped my head and nodded, and willed myself not to start crying. Although I could fully justify my reasons for leaving with Fate that night my family lost the gold and corporation to Jail, there as still a lingering feeling that I had abandoned my family in its darkest hour.

"Yeah..." I replied quietly.

My mother moved her hand across the table so that it was in my line of vision and tapped it against the surface lightly, signaling me to look at her. When I glanced up, I saw she was smiling gently at me.

"Your father and I... Well, the worst part of all of this is that we didn't trust you when we should have. And we payed for it. Literally."

"But nobody ever deserves what happened to you. To_ us_. Not because of something insignificant like that," I protested.

"What happened, Ma-... I mean, Nanoha?" Vivio asked, my name sounding completely unnatural coming from her mouth.

"Our family lost everything, Vivio. The business, the money. It's all gone," I replied. Vivio frowned at my vague explanation, and I turned to my mother for help. I was surprised to find her smiling even more in my direction.

"How can you be smiling right now, Mom?" I asked.

My mother leaned an elbow on the table and cupped her chin in her hand. "I've always taught you that everything happens for a reason, Nanoha. And your father and I have decided that what happened was for the best."

I shook my head in frustration. "How is that even possible to feel like that?"

She then gestured to the cafe currently being remodeled around us. "I've always wanted to own a neighborhood store like this. Did you know that? I actually talked about it quite a bit with your father throughout the years, but with everything else going on with the business just wasn't possible. But now, with the little money we had left after selling the mansion and such... We were able to buy this."

"With the mansion gone, where are you staying now?" I asked.

My mother pointed above to the ceiling. "Here. There is a cute little house right above the cafe. I will have to show it to you after this. I think you will like it."

"So, wait..." Vivio interrupted. "Did the family lose everything before or after you got married?" she asked me.

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and groaned a little. I could not bring myself to look at my mother after Vivio's declaration, and the immediate tension that was created at the table was intense.

"W-What was that?" my mother asked, her voice raising slightly.

I opened one eye and looked in her direction as she now glared across the table at me, and the warm smile that had been present a moment before was replaced with prominent frown. I sighed and turned to face her again completely.

"Fate-chan and I are married now, Mom," I informed her. "I know it's sudden, and we are really young. But with Fate-chan... I love her, and I know in my heart it was exactly what I was supposed to do. I'm meant to be with her."

My mother paused and drummed her fingers on the table as she continued to stare at me. I held her gaze steadily, willing her to understand.

"Well, I'll admit that it _is_ a shock," she finally replied. "And I am very disappointed that your father and I could not be there to witness our youngest daughter getting married. But... if I have learned anything in all this, it is to trust your judgment, Nanoha. Especially when it involves Fate. I just want you to be happy, after all."

I nodded and put my hands to my face as I leaned my elbows on the table. I allowed myself to cry tears of relief from the worry about telling my mother about my marriage, and having her accept it as well as she did. Vivio put her hand on my back and rubbed circles gently to comfort me. My mother waited until I had finished crying mostly before speaking again.

"I'll have to inform your father about this," she added. "That will certainly be interesting."

"Where is Dad?" I asked, wiping my cheeks with my hands as best as I could.

"At the dojo with Kyoya and Miyuki," my mother replied. "He fortunately was able to save it from having to be sold in all of this."

"I can't remember the last time I remember him actually going there," I mentioned.

She nodded in confirmation. "It had been years actually. But now, he has been everyday with your brother and sister..." She paused. "He's changed, Nanoha."

My head shot up. "He has?"

"Yes. I think he had to lose everything to realize the man he had become. A man he did not like. There was no excuse for his behavior, or mine for accepting it all those years. But it really opened up his eyes. I think he feels free now."

I glanced around the half-remodeled cafe while I let my mother's statements about my father attempt to sink in. I tried to recall memories of a time when my father wasn't basing every decision around the success of the corporation, and came up with nothing. The father I knew had always been stubborn, spiteful, and often angry. I knew it would take time for me to adjust to the notion that he suddenly was a different person from the one I grew up with. I felt bittersweet emotions rising in me, and I knew in my heart I was not ready to forgive him just yet.

"So, is there anything else I should know, Nanoha?" my mother then asked, breaking my thoughts away from my father.

I glanced over at Vivio, who was now staring at me intently. She finally shook her head slowly, and I raised my eyebrows to her in return. She held my gaze for a moment longer, and I nodded silently that I understood.

"Nope. Not right now," I told my mother.

Before anything else could be said, a loud crash came from the kitchen. The three of us jumped at the noise, and my mother became apologetic.

"Nanoha. Vivio. I may have to cut this short," she informed us, already sliding out of the booth.

Vivio and I began to exit the booth as well. "It's okay, Mom. You have a lot going on here. We will continue this another time."

My mother grabbed my hand. "Nanoha, please come to dinner Saturday night. I know your father would love to see you. Your brother and sister would as well."

"Um..." I began uncertainly.

"Vivio, you are invited too, of course," she added. Vivio and I shared a look, and she nodded at me.

"Okay, Mom. We will be there."

"Excellent! Okay, I love you, Nanoha," she said, giving me a hug and quick kiss on the cheek. "We will see you Saturday. And Vivio, it was very nice to meet you. I look forward to seeing you again as well."

Vivio received a hug from my mother, and I couldn't help but notice she seemed elated afterward with her grandmother's approval, even though she was trying to mask her excitement. We both turned to exit the cafe together.

"Oh, and Nanoha!" my mother called from behind me. Vivio and I turned back to face her again. "I trust your new wife will be joining us Saturday night as well, correct?"

I smiled. "Of course, Mom. We'll see you then."

"Goodbye, Nanoha. Vivio. See you soon!"

Vivio and I exited the cafe and began the journey back to Quint's house. "You didn't want your grandmother to know who you were?" I asked her after a moment.

"It's okay. I know who she is. That's enough," Vivio replied. She was staring straight ahead as we walked, and I caught a faint, satisfied smile forming on her lips.

We walked peacefully together for a few moments. I was engrossed in thoughts about my parents and the sudden turns their lives had taken, and I wondered how long it would be before I felt connected to my family again, if ever.

"Sorry about blurting out the marriage thing, by the way," Vivio mentioned.

I laughed a little. "It's okay. She needed to know anyway. I'm proud that Fate-chan is my wife, but there wouldn't have been any easy way to break it to her, honestly."

"Mama... can I stay with you and Fate-Mama tonight?" she suddenly asked.

"Uh-oh. What happened?" I replied in a knowing voice.

Vivio sighed. "Einhart is mad at me. We got into a fight."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. What was the fight about?"

Vivio didn't say anything, and instead opted to stare at the sidewalk. I caught tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.

"Vivio, would you like to talk about it with me?" I asked in a softer tone.

"Not really. Well yes, but.." she responded, and I now observed a blush beginning to form as well. I smiled to myself, wondering if this was going to end up being the infamous 'sex-talk' that all parents went through with their children.

I bent down to try to look at Vivio in the eyes as we walked, and I eventually got her attention. "I won't know unless you tell me," I said to her.

"Mama, how can you tell if you _want_ to be in love with someone or not?"

I gave Vivio a puzzled look. "Do you mean, how can you tell if you _are_ in love with someone or not?"

Vivio shook her head. "No, that's not really the issue."

I felt my hands clench a little into fists instinctively, but I did my best to hide any feelings of overprotectiveness I was suddenly experiencing. "Did something happen between you and Einhart?"

"I... I accidentally told her I love her. I didn't mean to! It just... slipped out," she replied.

I breathed a small sigh of relief, and Vivio turned and narrowed her eyes at me. "Sorry, I didn't meant anything by that sigh. Anyway, did she get angry when you told her you loved her?"

Vivio shrugged. "She didn't say anything at all. She just stopped talking and then started avoiding me. I think she is upset with me now."

I put my arm around Vivio's shoulder and pulled her towards me to comfort her as we walked. She put her arms around my waist in response. "I think it's important to try to talk to her, Vivio. I would imagine she is more confused than anything. But the last thing you should do is give up in trying to have your feelings reach her, okay?"

Vivio nodded and pulled away a little, but she still kept an arm around me. "You're right, Mama."

"Alright, let's head to Quint's house and try to figure this all out together."

**oOOOo**

**Fate POV**

"I can't believe that Vivio is already in love with Einhart," I remarked as I leaned against the the headboard. "You Takamachi women are relentless."

Nanoha reared her head up from the big brown book on her lap and stared back at me in disbelief. "You did not just say that! How many times did you trespass on my parent's property to try to seduce me, Mrs. Testarossa?"

I just grinned at Nanoha, and she finally just rolled her eyes and smiled back as well.

"Einhart is still confused though," Nanoha commented.

"How so?"

"It's like something is holding her back, maybe? But they did make up this evening at least. Back to normal, for the most part," she replied.

"Well, that's good to hear," I replied, and then sat up in the bed. "So what do you think about the story Teana picked out for tonight?" I asked, now pointing down to the book in Nanoha's lap.

She glanced down. "Snow White? Well it's certainly... different than the last idea we tried."

I pulled the book off of her lap and brought it onto mine. "She was thinking that since it was a fairy tale and not based on an actual historic figure, there shouldn't be any violence. Well, hopefully."

Nanoha pulled the book back and pointed down. "Well, except for the minor detail of me being poisoned by the apple and all. I'm a little concerned about that," she replied.

I rubbed her back to reassure her. "I'll save you, Nanoha. That's my job."

"You'd better save me..." she muttered playfully as she closed the book. She placed it on the nightstand next to her cellphone and turned off the lamp. She then paused before laying down in bed.

"Wait? No putting the moves on me tonight?" she asked, her voice genuinely shocked.

I stretched my arms out in front of me and then started settling under the blankets. "Nope! This time it's totally going to work. I'm conserving my energy for it," I informed her.

Nanoha settle in next to me and wrapped her arm around my stomach and drew me in closer. She kissed my once on the cheek before nuzzling her face into my neck. "Okay then, Fate-chan. See you soon," she said.

_~Germany, early 1500's~_

**Fate POV**

I brought my horse to a stop at a clearing in the forest, looking around for the fabled cottage that I had been sent to locate by my kingdom. My eyes darting around the barely visible forest floor, hoping that my horse could maneuver through without injury on potentially unseen roots or rocks. The moon was full that evening, but the forest ceiling obscured much of the light, drastically reducing our visibility.

"We should be close, Sire," the knight at my side informed me.

I observed movement ahead. "There!" I announced as I spotted a lantern hurrying away from our group down the forest path. I quickly spurred my horse to catch up to it.

"You there!" I called as our group drew closer. "Excuse me, dwarf! I am in need of your assistance."

The dwarf spun angrily around and looked up defiantly towards me. "What do you want?" she asked heatedly.

"Please forgive me. My name is Fate. What is yours?" I asked.

The dwarf scowled even more at me. "Hayate," she growled.

"Hayate, my kingdom has heard of a fair maiden who was poisoned, but has yet to succumb to the ravages of death. It has been told that she is being attended to by seven dwarfs in a cottage near here."

"Aye, but what is it to you?" she countered defensively.

"My parents have taken a great interest in this situation. I have been sent on a quest to see if she can be saved," I replied.

Hayate slowly looked around at the group of men that were surrounding her, and then returned her vision to me. "And if I refuse?" she challenged.

I shook my head. "There is no refusal," I informed her firmly.

The dwarf sighed, and then started walking down the trail again. "Come along then. You may follow me, since I don't have a damn choice in the matter apparently." I turned to my knight in slight shock at her harsh words, and he merely shrugged in response to the dwarf's foul mood.

The group was led a short distance to a cottage, and I was grateful to see that it was tall enough to where would not have to crouch down to enter it. Hayate led myself and my knight inside, with the two guards remaining outside to tend to the horses.

"Teana, Subaru. Please fetch food and drink for our guests," Hayate requested. I observed two dwarfs nod and enter into the kitchen.

Hayate turned to three others huddled together. "Lindy, Precia, Quint. Please prepare places for our visitors to rest and warm themselves." The dwarfs bowed and made their way into a small room towards the back.

"Ginga, please help me escort them to see Nanoha," she directed, although I noticed she hadn't taken her eyes off me once since we entered the cottage. She led myself and my knight to a separate back room off of the kitchen.

I looked around the dark room in confusion until Ginga lit a lantern behind me. The room was suddenly illuminated, and I saw the girl named Nanoha resting on the bed. She looked to be peacefully sleeping, her hands clasped together across her stomach.

"She's beautiful," I mentioned, completely entranced.

"Um-hmm," Hayate replied sarcastically.

I turned towards the dwarf. "It has not escaped my attention that you have not stopped glaring at me once since I've arrived here," I said to her impatiently.

"Um-hmm," she responded again.

I shook my head and turned away. "So grumpy..." I muttered. I then approached the bed that Nanoha was resting on.

"Hello, Nanoha?" I called softly. I heard Ginga snicker behind me a little.

"Right, because we haven't tried that before," Hayate scoffed.

I rolled my eyes to myself. I then shook Nanoha's shoulders a little, and I noticed her body still felt warm to the touch.

"That's odd," I mentioned. I pulled one of her eye's open, revealing a magnificent sapphire blue underneath. I stumbled back a little involuntarily.

"What is it, Sire?" my knight asked.

"I-I want to kiss her," I told him, turning to him almost in a panic.

The knight dropped his arms from across his chest slowly. "I'm sorry? What was that, Fate?"

"What did she just say?!" I heard Hayate ask behind me. I turned and ran the few steps back to stand beside the bed. I glanced over Nanoha's face and lips a few times before leaning over to kiss her.

"That's it!" I heard Hayate yell. I glanced quickly over at her and noticed Ginga holding her back by the hand. I brushed my lips against Nanoha's lightly for a moment before pulling away to watch her again. I watched Nanoha's eyelids flutter quickly, and then she opened her eyes fully and stared up at me in confusion.

"Hi?" she said softly.

"Hi," I responded, bringing my hand to her cheek as I studied her eyes closely.

"Who are you?" she asked, bringing her hand up to the back of my head.

"Fate."

She nodded. "I'm Nanoha," she responded.

"It's good to meet - " I started, but Nanoha had already pulled my lips down to hers to kiss her before I could finish the sentence. Our kiss escalated into a passionate exchange quickly from there.

"Oh, my!" I heard the dwarf named Lindy exclaim from the doorway.

"I'LL KILL HER!" was screamed from across the room, and Nanoha and I both turned our faces to see Hayate charging towards us. The knight intercepted her and pushed her off with one hand, while trying to pull me away from Nanoha as well.

"Sire, please! Control yourself!" he pled.

I saw Hayate jump onto my knights back and start punching him on the shoulders. He twisted around a few times to try to fling her off from him, and her legs were kicking wildly at his sides. Before I could say anything, Nanoha pulled me back into a kiss and I was completely engrossed once again. I then moved onto the bed to lay on top of her, and she eagerly allowed me to.

"What the hell is going on here?!" I then heard from the doorway. I opened my eyes while still kissing Nanoha to see the dwarf named Teana staring at us in complete shock, followed closely by Subaru. Precia had an expression I could not recognize next to them, and Quint looked as if she was enjoying the show.

Hayate broke free from the knight and pulled out a dagger from her vest in one fluid motion. "YOU'RE DEAD, SCUMBAG!" she screamed. She was about to plunge the knife in my back when -

**oOOOo**

_~Present Day~_

**Fate POV**

"God damnit, Hayate!" I yelled as I awoke. I sat up straight in the bed, my heart pounding in my chest. "Did she get me?!"

Nanoha quickly turned on the lamp and inspected my back. "No, you're good," she reassured me.

My cellphone suddenly rang from the nightstand, and Nanoha reached over and picked it up. The caller ID showed it was Ginga as she handed it to me.

"Hey, Ginga," I greeted, falling back against my pillow.

"I really did try to stop her," her rushed voice replied. "She's stronger than she looks!"

I closed my eyes. "Yep... Man, she really does _not_ like me in these dreams."

"_Sorry again, Fate!_" I heard Hayate yell in the background. A knock suddenly came to our bedroom door, and Nanoha and I glanced over at each other.

"Come in!" Nanoha called Lindy and my mother entered the room.

"I am _very_ disappointed in you!" Lindy said, pointing her finger directly at me.

I almost dropped my phone from my ear. "What did I do?" I responded incredulously.

"Nanoha had just barely woken up and you took complete advantage of her!" she replied.

"Yeah, but... no, I didn't..." I stammered, but was interrupted when Nanoha's phone rang next.

"Hey, Teana," Nanoha answered. "Yeah, she's talking to Ginga now... Sure, hang on..."

Nanoha lowered her phone from her ear to speak to me."She was curious why Ginga and Hayate didn't respond to the eye thing like we did?" Nanoha asked.

I put my phone back to my ear and relayed the message to them, and paused as Ginga answered. I then turned back to Nanoha. "They said they don't know, but that the roles they were in wouldn't have worked to conceive Einhart."

Nanoha continued to talk to Teana for a few moments, and I told Ginga we would discuss it more the next day. Lindy put a gentle hand on my knee after I had hung up. "Fate, I know you are all trying really hard for Vivio and Einhart's sake, but maybe you want to reconsider this plan? All of us got pulled into it this time, and I worry that somehow it could make things worse. Do you understand?"

I looked up to my mother, who had her arms crossed as she looked down at me. "I agree with Lindy, Fate. There are too many consequences that could come from this," she said.

I agreed hesitantly, and Lindy patted my knee to try to reassure me. She and my mother both left the room afterward as Nanoha hung up the phone.

"We should probably just focus more on the first plan from now on, Nanoha," I advised. "The one were we talked about preparing the girls to fight, in case they did get sent back to their own time period."

Nanoha paused and stared down at the bedspread, carefully considering my words. She then nodded in agreement.

"You're right, Fate-chan," she agreed. "So... I guess it's time for me to pay a visit my father then."

* * *

**A/N:** Just a few chapters left in this story :( Until next time ~Nissanity~


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